Category Archives: Successful Recovery

Posts about recovery attempts that people have notified me about.

Ringing in the New Year 2024!

I received a referral from a friend who was out of town. A couple had a disagreement, and she threw 4 pieces of jewelry outside. The husband was able to find 1 bracelet, but that left another bracelet and 2 rings missing. The engagement ring and her wedding ring. 

You can read the full story here.

A lot of my searches involve thrown jewelry. I am sure there are a lot more people who don’t call for help finding their thrown jewelry due to embarrassment, that don’t find their jewelry. Don’t be embarrassed, it happens all of the time. Your lost jewelry will become a resentment that will cause more stress in a relationship.

If you are really that mad that you don’t want your jewelry, don’t throw it away; call me, and I’ll add it to my collection!

I love My Hobby!!

 

 

 

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Snow Ate My Keys

I received an email from Sheila describing how she lost her shed keys while shoveling snow after the last storm. They were in her jacket pocket, and when she was finished, they were gone. We set up an appointment after she left work at 7 pm.

Luckily, it was a small search area, as it was the coldest night of the year, 23 degrees. She showed me the area that she thought they would be in, so I started my search. About 15 mins and 21 cents later, no keys were found. I had to ask Sheila to move her car; because it was at the edge of the search area, and my detector was sounding off to the car. 

5 minutes later, I had her keys. They were buried in a pile of snow & ice that was under the rear of where she had parked her car. She was so happy. She needs access to her shed as another snowstorm is coming in a few days.

I Love My Hobby!!

 

 

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Repeat Offender 2nd Time We Found This Ring!

I received an email from Katelyn asking for help in finding her husband’s wedding ring. They recently moved, and Mike was working on clearing out branches & vines in the backyard near a creek. It seems like Mike is a repeat offender. In January of 2022, I found his ring after making snow angels with his kids. We set up a time and date to search.

I showed up in a snowstorm, the biggest storm since the snow angel adventure 2 years ago. It was early in the morning. Katelyn showed me the area Mike was working in. He was on both sides of the creek. At least it would be easy to see where I searched with a fresh 2 inches of snow on the ground and still accumulating. 

UI started searching. Right off the bat, I found 3 really old, crushed Pepsi cans. Oh boy, a party area. I thought there would be hardly any targets here. I decided to start with the easy parts first, as there were piles of cut branches & vines that I would have to move at some point. 

Nothing was on this side of the creek, so I crossed the water. 2 minutes later, I had a gold tone. Digin down the new snow and an inch of ice from an early-in-the-week storm, about a half an inch under leaves was Mike’s ring. I really like this ring, it is a beautiful rose color gold. Total time: 15 minutes.

When I walked back up the hill, Katelyn and the kids were playing in the snow. The look on her face was priceless when I showed her the ring. I gave her a refrigerator magnet to place on the new frig so they would have my number handy for the next time. 

I Love My Hobby!!

 

 

 

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Ringing in the New Year!

Ringing in the New Year 2024 style. I am not using the real names of this couple. I will call them Betty & Barney Rubble. Barney called me to see if I could help find some lost jewelry. He was referred to me by Fellow Ring Finder/Treasure Hunter Ed Cropski (he was out of town for the weekend). I work with a core group of excellent detectorists with much experience. If one of us gets a call and can’t make it, we give it to someone in our group. 

Barney said his wife got very angry and walked out the back door to their deck, and Bam-Bam threw 2 silver bracelets, a gold wedding ring, and a gold engagement ring. Doing his own reconnaissance, he found 1 of the bracelets. I was near the neighbor’s fence beside a pile of wood rubble, reminding me of a gravel pit. The other 3 items are still missing.

Betty was out on their deck in the area where she threw her jewelry. She looked very sad. After reviewing the angle of where Barney found the first bracelet and the scene, I told Barney that gold rings would travel farther than the lighter bracelet. I asked if his neighbors were okay with me searching their backyard. He said yes that he contacted them after our phone call. Betty went inside. 

I started searching the neighbor’s yard. There were a lot of signals. There is a newer deck, and I was finding a ton of wood screws that are used in deck building. After about 12 minutes of searching, I started to look under the deck. I almost immediately found the engagement ring. It was under the deck. From where Betty threw the jewelry and the angle of where the ring was, it had to go through the open-backed stairs from the ground to the deck; if I threw it, it would have bounced off one of the steps. Lucky throw. 

I intensified my search under the deck. It took another minute or two to find the missing bracelet. At this point, Barney had no idea I found either item. I asked him if he could hold my pinponter. He came over, and I held out my hand and dropped the engagement ring & bracelet into his hand. The look in his eyes was priceless. 

I asked Barney if he would search on the deck for the other ring while I searched on the ground. I didn’t feel right searching up there with all of the windows. The neighbors know Barney, not me. 

About 5 minutes went by, and Barney was standing next to me. He held out his hand that held the missing ring. My hunch paid off; it was laying on some covered furniture on the deck. He enjoyed the thrill of making the discovery. 

Betty came out on their deck as I talked to Barney in the driveway. I told her to come down & get her jewelry. She was grinning from ear to ear. Barney and Betty are happy once again in Bedrock. 

I love my hobby!!

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2 Hour Drive

I took a 2-hour drive down to Lewes, Delaware, for a recovery. Jessica lost her ring in her yard 3 weeks prior. Read the full story here. 

It was a successful recovery that took 15 minutes to find. She was elated that I was able to find it. She thought it was gone forever. It was her grandmother’s ring. The ring will need to go to a jeweler because it is bent. I guess the tractor ran over it. But she has it back. 

Spread the word about my service. I love returning things to people. 

I love my hobby!!

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Lost Ring on A Golf Course

I have to give a shout-out to the Pennsauken Country Club for allowing this return happen. They graciously let me search for the missing wedding ring, as long as I didn’t dig any holes. I didn’t take any digging tools, just my metal detector, and pinpointer. 

When you hear that there is a missing ring on a golf course, you think of what a daunting task this will be—searching acres and acres of thick grass. I have been lucky with my other golf course searches, as the people who lost the items had a good idea of where they lost them.

This was the case with John. He said it had to be around the 17th tee box.  The club let us take a cart out to the area. You can read the full story here. It was a quick 20-minute search. 

The club manager thought there was no chance of the ring being recovered. He had never heard of a ring being found before on a golf course. He is now a believer. You just have to contact a professional. 

I might just have to start advertising that I am a golf course recovery specialist!!

Till next time Be safe and keep your jewelry safe!

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Lost Wedding Ring @ Pennsauken Country Club Found By Dave Milsted

 

 

 

While out on a 911 call (I am a paramedic), John left me a message about his lost wedding ring. When I had a few minutes, I gave John a callback. He said while he was playing golf at the Pennsauken Country Club, he had placed his wedding ring in his wallet. He secured his wallet in his golf bag. With the heat, the cart girl stopped, and he retrieved his wallet to buy some beers for his group at the 17th tee box. When he got to the 18th hole, he looked in his wallet, and the ring was gone. 

His group went back to the 17th tee box but couldn’t find it. Another foursome also assisted in the search. No luck. One of the guys said you should call someone with a metal detector. John went home a googled lost ring. He found me on the Ring Finders site. We chatted about what happened. He had already called the golf course, and they gave him permission to have me search as long as I didn’t dig any holes. We set up a search date of Thursday evening. 

We both arrived at about the same time. We went into the clubhouse to let them know we were there to search. We guaranteed them there would be no digging. They let us use a golf cart to get to the location he suspected it was lost. It looked freshly cut, and it was close to the ground. There were a few thick areas of grass. He showed me the area the refreshment cart was. I started there.

In the area, the cart was also 3 electrical boxes. That means underground wires. OH NO. I definitely found a lot of underground items. I worked my way toward the area where John’s cart was parked that day. After about 15 – 20 mins of searches, I got a solid tone and number in the area that a 14-karat white gold ring would be. I bent down and spread the grass to reveal what was there; in there was John’s ring. 

John was dumbfounded. He thought he would never see it again. He was just going through the motions so he could be at peace knowing he did everything. He gave me at least a half a dozen bro hugs. He said he felt so high right now that he was afraid to drive home. So we called his wife from the spot the ring was found. She could believe it was found either. After the call, we dropped off the golf cart and went into the clubhouse to let them know we found it. The guy had a very surprised look on his face. 

We then walked to the parking lot. He still didn’t feel safe to drive. So he called his cousin, that was golfing with him on that fateful day. He was amazed also. John still wasn’t ready to drive, so he gave me another hug and said he was going to go to his car and call his dad. 

I love my hobby!!! 

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Pennsauken, NJ

Pennsauken Country Club Lost Wedding Ring, (July 2020)

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Gloomy Day Turned Nice in Haddon Hts NJ

Bob contacted me through my website, asking if I could search for his lost ring. He had been doing yard work, and when he went to Loews for more supplies, he noticed that his titanium wedding ring was missing. We were both available this Saturday, weather permitting. We are expecting 4 days of heavy rain.
 
Saturday morning was gloomy, but the rain paused; we now have a fine mist. I met Bob at his house. He showed me his work area in the front of the house. He had planted some flowers and placed about 2 inches of mulch. If it is not here, it could be in his backyard, as he made several trips to his shed. I asked if he had searched his car, and he said yes. He also searched the parking lot at Loews.
 
I got started, and he returned to the house to tend to his 6-month-old & 2 large dogs. I did a quick check of both flower beds and noticed there were a lot of iron targets. This took all of 5 minutes. I dug a few, and they were old nails. So I need to slow down and make a much more thorough check.
 
About 10 minutes later, I got a signal under one of the bushes. Dug down about 3 inches, and there was his silver titanium ring. I took a few pictures and knocked on his door. Bob came out, and I asked him if I could search the backyard toward his shed. As he was answering and trying to figure out why it wasn’t here, because he was sure this was where it would be, I held up his ring, and when he finally noticed, the look on his face was priceless. I had asked him if he was in the dog house because he had lost his ring, he said no, but his wife was disappointed. She will be happy again.
 
I love my hobby!!

 

 

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Landscaper Lost Gold Pendant

Kevin sent me a text message asking if I could help find a very sentimental gold cross that he lost while working his landscaping job. He was on a riding mower, and his chain got caught on a low branch. The chain snapped, and the charm went missing. He has the chain. He got my information from a former co-worker of my wife.
 
I told him he would need to secure permission from the owner of the house to search his backyard. Permission granted. We met at 5 pm, it would be dark shortly.
 
I started with my main detector and large coil. Searched most of the yard with no luck. I switched to my backup detector with a very small coil and a small gold program. After about 10 minutes, we got the signal we were hoping for. I separated the grass, and there was the charm!
 
Kevin was getting worried when I didn’t find it with the 1st detector. The look on his face when I showed him the charm was priceless!
 
I Love My Hobby!
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Yard Clean-up Equals a Lost Ring

We search more than beaches!

Frank sent me an email asking if I could help him. While doing yard work he lost his platinum wedding band. He has worn it for 14 years. I sent him a message back stating I would help tomorrow morning as I was currently at the Phillies-Padres playoff game. Go Phillies!

Early the next morning I sent Frank an email letting him know to call me when he was available. He called and gave me his address. So I loaded my vehicle and headed over.

I arrived at his house, and the 1st thing I noticed was how nice the yard/grass looks. It was thick and easy to hide a ring. It was also well-decorated for Halloween. Frank was outside waiting for me. He took me to the different areas that he was working on yesterday. The last stop was where he felt his ring come off. He explained that he was throwing some of the yard debris into the woods. When he was done he shook off the dirt from his hands. At that moment he felt his ring come off. He searched for it without success. He even went out and bought an inexpensive metal detector to search. He mimicked the event while holding a quarter to see where it would land. I spotted the quarter while scanning the area with my eyes. 

I grabbed my detector and started. There is a manhole cover in the area and a metal fence. But there were a lot of other metal signals in the area. The developers must have made the woods a dumping ground.  There were sticker bushes and vines all over making it difficult to swing the detector properly. After about 20 minutes and many targets, I get a nice signal. I can’t see anything so I get out my pinpointer. I move the leaves and grass and there is a platinum ring. I would have never been found without a metal detector because it was totally hidden. 

Frank was elated that I found it in the area he searched many times. Hopefully, he can return the detector he bought. Unless you are an experienced detectorist, chances are you won’t be able to find a lost ring unless you are very lucky. You need to know how to set up a detector to find the type of metal or object you are looking for. You need to know what the detector is telling you when it makes a sound. 

Frank found me by doing a Google search for how to find a lost ring. He was so happy that he didn’t give up and reached professional. 

I Love My Hobby!!

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Playing Ball Equals Lost Ring

We search More Than Beaches!

Katie called me after someone on FaceBook recommended me, thank you to whoever that was. She was in her backyard throwing a ball when she lost her engagement ring. She searched for days with no luck. Then she resorted to social media. 

Friday was the day I could search, so we set up a date. Katie couldn’t be there but her mom would be. Katie describe to me over text messages where she was in the yard and in what direction she was throwing the ball.

I started near the middle of the tear and did a grid pattern in the north direction. I was getting a few deeper targets and just passed them by. About 20 minutes into the search I got a good signal in the range that small gold rings should be. I pulled back the ring and there was the ring I was looking for. It looked like it was stepped on and it was embedded in the mud, sideways. 

When I showed Katie’s mom she couldn’t believe it. She said Katie would be so happy. 

I Love My Hobby!!

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Lost Ring While Playing With The Dog

We search more than beaches!

Frank sent me an email asking if I could help him. While doing yard work he lost his platinum wedding band. He has worn it for 14 years. I sent him a message back stating I would help tomorrow morning as I was currently at the Phillies-Padres playoff game. Go Phillies!

Early the next morning I sent Frank an email letting him know to call me when he was available. He called and gave me his address. So I loaded my vehicle and headed over.

I arrived at his house, and the 1st thing I noticed was how nice the yard/grass looks. It was thick and easy to hide a ring. It was also well-decorated for Halloween. Frank was outside waiting for me. He took me to the different areas that he was working on yesterday. The last stop was where he felt his ring come off. He explained that he was throwing some of the yard debris into the woods. When he was done he shook off the dirt from his hands. At that moment he felt his ring come off. He searched for it without success. He even went out and bought an inexpensive metal detector to search. He mimicked the event while holding a quarter to see where it would land. I spotted the quarter while scanning the area with my eyes. 

I grabbed my detector and started. There is a manhole cover in the area and a metal fence. But there were a lot of other metal signals in the area. The developers must have made the woods a dumping ground.  There were sticker bushes and vines all over making it difficult to swing the detector properly. After about 20 minutes and many targets, I get a nice signal. I can’t see anything so I get out my pinpointer. I move the leaves and grass and there is a platinum ring. I would have never been found without a metal detector because it was totally hidden. 

Frank was elated that I found it in the area he searched many times. Hopefully, he can return the detector he bought. Unless you are an experienced detectorist, chances are you won’t be able to find a lost ring unless you are very lucky. You need to know how to set up a detector to find the type of metal or object you are looking for. You need to know what the detector is telling you when it makes a sound. 

Frank found me by doing a Google search for how to find a lost ring. He was so happy that he didn’t give up and reached professional. 

I Love My Hobby!!

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Yardwork in Howell Twp NJ Causes Lost Ring

In late April, Roy left a message on my phone asking if I could help him locate his lost wedding ring. I called him back about an hour later. He explained that while cleaning up his yard he was throwing sticks into the woods. At some point, his ring must have flown off. I told him I would be there within the hour, hopefully getting there before the sunset. 

I got there with a few minutes to spare as there was still some daylight. He showed me the area he thinks he lost his ring. He explained that he has recently lost a lot of weight and his ring was loose. He said after he called he went out with a leaf blower and tried to find it, creating a large pile of leaves. 

I told him if it is here I will find it. I started searching and got a signal almost immediately. It was deeper than a surface find so I continued. Roy and his wife started walking back to the house. Within the next 2 minutes, I got a very strong signal in the pile of leaves. I kicked them to the side and there was Roy’s wedding ring. 

As I was taking a picture they noticed me on the ground and started to walk back. I picked it up and showed them what I found. They were stunned that I found it so quickly. Roy explained that it has a lot of sentimental value and that his 14th anniversary is in 2 days. 

I handed the ring to his wife, so she could put it back on his finger! The smiles on their faces were well worth the long drive to get there. Roy said he was going to get a ring guard so he wouldn’t have to call me again!

I love my hobby!

 

 

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Leprechaun Trying to Steal a Gold Ring In Collingswood NJ, Found by Dave Milsted

 

 

Michael called me during my Sunday morning run. He was outside yesterday doing yardwork, mulching, and playing with his 2 young daughters. When he finally went inside, Michael noticed his rose gold wedding ring was missing. He said he found my website and read the tip about searching at night with a flashlight. He gave that a try but didn’t have any success. I told him that I was halfway through my 6-mile run and would come over when I was finished. 

I met Michael and he showed me the different areas he did work and played with his daughters. It was pretty much the whole yard. I started in the areas he mulched. He had removed the mulch and put it in a bag. In the 2 areas I searched, I found a couple of nails and a few other unknown metal objects. 

Michael went to get the bag of mulch he removed. As he was in the garage I got a great signal in a thick patch of clover. I parted the clover and there it was a very nice rose gold ring. I believe the local leprechaun was trying to keep the gold ring, as it was well concealed. It would have been found without a metal detector  He could believe that I found it in 10 minutes. The look on his face was priceless. He also couldn’t believe that he has so much emotion over a ring. Sentimental feelings are a very powerful thing. 

Michael found me through Facebook, from a successful recovery a few blocks away in Collingswood, a month or so ago. That was also a rose gold ring. 

I Love My Hobby!

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Making Snow Angels = Lost Ring…

I received a call from Katelyn. She told me that her husband lost his rose gold wedding ring in their yard yesterday, after we received 8 inches of new snow. They have been trying to melt some of the snow after having someone with a metal detector out yesterday with no luck. 

I was at their house about 20 minutes later. Mike & Katelyn came out and showed me what happened. He had just got done making a snow angel and was flicking his hands trying to get the snow off, and away went his ring. 

I turned on my machine and there was a ton of interference. A neighbor must be sending out radio waves to aliens. I tried everything to make the interference stop, no luck. I had MIke place a coin on the ground to make sure I would be able to hear the signal through the noise, and it works. 

I started searching the area. I found the gas line and the water line. I had a few other signals that were under the frozen ground. Then I got a signal that moved when I tried to clear away the snow. SUCCESS! What a beautiful rose colored gold ring it was! It took about 15 minutes to find. Both Mike & Katelyn were so happy. They thought that they might have to wait until spring to find it. 

Thank you to Karen & Lynda for recommending me on Facebook!

I Love My Hobby!

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Early Christmas Gift in Barrington NJ, When Lost Wedding Ring is Found

My wife got a request for my services from a friend of hers from the gym. It seems that George takes care of several feral cat colonies. On Tuesday when he got home he noticed his wedding ring of 49 years was missing. He checked his gloves, car & trunk. No luck.

We made arrangements to meet Thursday, in the afternoon to start the search, We met and he showed me his routine. We emptied food bowls to make sure it was not mixed in with the chow. We checked the water bowls and supply box. Next, I used one of my detectors, a Minelab Equinox with a very small coil. There are a lot of metal items in the area.The ring was not found, off to stop 2. 

At the 2nd stop, George again showed me his routine. We checked the bowls and the supply box, nothing. He said he did throw some trash in the nearby dumpster. My heart sank. We opened the dumpster lid and it had been emptied. As I was searching the area with my detector, I questioned George about the check of his car and the gloves he wore that day. He said I could check his car if I wanted to. He is currently wearing the gloves he used on Tuesday, and there is no ring in them. 

I finished searching the area with the metal detector with no luck. I moved to George’s car. I looked in the back seat, nothing. I then went to look under the driver’s seat, and there was his white gold wedding ring. He couldn’t believe it was there after he had looked. 

The smile on his face was awesome. He said that his wife told him that the ring wouldn’t be found. This upcoming year will be their 50th Anniversary. Christmas came a few days early for George!

I love my hobby!!

 

 

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Yardwork Temporarily Claimed a Gold Ring in Mt Laurel

Cindy, a grade school classmate of mine, recommended me to a friend of hers. Cindy’s friend’s husband Bryan lost his white gold wedding ring while doing yard work last weekend. 

I was able to meet up with Nichole today to do a search. She showed me the areas he was working last weekend. I started in the small area in the front yard with no luck. I moved to the much larger area in the backyard. A lot of leaves and thick grass made a great hiding spot for a ring. 

I searched just about the whole backyard with no luck. I was going to get my machine with the smaller coil to search the areas closer to metal objects. While walking back to my truck I said to myself I should expand the search area in the front yard. 

3 feet from the area I searched I get a good hit on my detector. I bend down and spread the grass, and there is the missing ring. I was able to surprise Nichole when she answered the door. She was so happy, she said she was going to get the ring resized before Bryan can wear it again. He has lost it a few times recently.

I love my hobby!

 

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Yardwork In King of Prussia PA Almost Claimed a Gold Ring

 

Justin called this week asking if I could help find a lost ring. He is pretty sure he lost in his yard while doing yard work. This isn’t the first time I have talked to Justin, he called last year when he lost the same ring, in his house. I told him that I couldn’t use my detector in the house but I will do a visual search. After giving him some tips for a house search he found the ring. 

Our calendars allowed a Halloween search. He showed me the primary area. He was wearing gloves at the time but took them off a few times. He threw stuff into a trash can, but the trash wasn’t taken yet, in case we need to search the debris. The ring is not in the gloves. I checked the bag of grass seed that he was using, no ring. 

I turned on my detector and immediately started getting severe electronic interference. I did a noise-canceling procedure, a few times, and even did ground balancing. No luck. This just made the search a lot more difficult. I searched the whole area with no luck. I went to my truck and retrieved another detector with a much smaller coil. Still receiving the same interference. Maybe this was a testing site for nuclear bombs, or his yard is on top of an iron mine. 

The smaller coil was successful. After about 15 minutes I got a really strong 9 on the detector, pushed back the grass and there was a beautiful family heirloom. No tricks here only treats! This yellow gold ring with 3 diamonds was his father’s ring. Justin was awestruck & speechless. After a few minutes, he said he just texted a good friend saying that he thinks he is not going to see his ring again. 

I gave him some advice, when doing yard work, leave the ring in the house. He told me he was going to clean out the garage after I left, But he will not be wearing his ring. 

I love my hobby!

 

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2 Rings Lost @ Yardley Country Club in PA.

 

Jordan called me a few weeks ago asking if I could help find 2 rings for him. They were lost on a golf course. Do you know how big a golf course is? He had a real good idea where they were. I was out of town for my Half Ironman race for the week. We agreed to meet today in the afternoon. 

Jordan made sure we had permission to search on the course. The Yardley Country Club is a really nice-looking club. Jordan went up to the pro and secured us a golf cart to take us out to the 14th tee box. Jordan Explained that if you walk with your clubs and use a hand cart, members will push their cart down the hill towards the 14th tee while they are putting on the 13th green. Most of the time the carts end up in the proper place. This time Jordon’s cart got to the 14th tee and flipped over. 

Jordan usually takes his rings off to play golf & puts them into his golf bag. Jordan didn’t realize they were missing until a few days later. He searched his bag & gloves with no luck. Then he remembered the mishap on the 14th tee. He went to the club a few times to look. One time he even took a rake. No luck. So he did an internet search on renting metal detectors and found me. 

The area was not that big. He believed that they can’t be too far from the cart path, one was a thin gold ring and the other is a larger platinum ring. I got started and got a signal right away, in the gold platinum range on my detector. Well, it wasn’t a ring, it was the top of a pencil, the part that holds an eraser. This club supports cheating by supplying an eraser (LOL). This little area was loaded with metal objects. I searched the area with no rings found. I told him I was going to expand the search area. 

About an hour into the search I got another good sound, it was a ring, I moved the ring and the other one was there also. The rings were thrown approximately 15 to 20 feet past the cart path. The amazing part is they stayed together. They were down in the dirt like someone stepped on them or a tire from a tractor ran over them. Jordan wasn’t looking so I put them in my hand and finished my current line. Jordan was talking to a foursome on the 13th green. I asked him if he thought that I was still in the area he thought they could be. He got out of the cart and came over to me saying yes. As he was talking I held out my hand, he didn’t see them, so I raised my hand a little higher. After about a minute he had a shocked look on his face, then a smile from ear to ear. He realized he was now out of the dog house.

I love my hobby!

 

 

 

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2 Rings Lost 20 Years Apart, 1 Found

 
Janet sent me an email asking if I could help her. About 6 months ago she lost a family heirloom ring that was her grandmothers’ wedding ring while gardening. I followed up with a lot of questions: do you have an idea where you lost it? What is the ring made of? Are there any metal items in the search area? And many more. She mentioned that she lost another ring about 20 years ago, while gardening.
 
A few weeks passed as our schedules didn’t line up. I traveled to Howel Twp NJ on a very humid Sunday afternoon. Janet showed me the area where she thought she lost the ring 20 years ago, then directed me to the area she lost the most recent ring.
 
I started in the area where she thought the ring was lost 20 years ago. There are a lot of metal items in the ground here. Mostly iron objects. I searched for an hour with no luck. I will have to return for another try.
 
I moved to the second area for the most recent loss. There aren’t as many targets in this area. About 30 minutes in I got a good signal. About 2 inches deep was the ring I was looking for. Janet had just come out to check on my progress while I was digging up the target. She was amazed that I found it. She had tried using a metal detector and said it was constantly beeping. The look on her face when I handed her, her grandmother’s ring was priceless. I was surprised how deep the ring was in the ground in only 6 months. The ring was dirty so I told her to use a little toothpaste and a brush.
 
I was feeling good, so I went back to the first location to try a smaller coil to try to snipe the other ring in between all of the iron targets. I gave it an additional 30 minutes with no luck. I was hot & soaking wet. Time to rehydrate and make the 1-hour drive home.
 
Janet was very happy to have the family heirloom ring back on her hand. All cleaned and shiny!
I love my hobby!
 
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Lost Wedding Band – Lost on the South Jersey Rugby Football Field in Cherry Hill Found By Dave Milsted

Chris sent me an email asking if I could help him. He lost his wedding band the night before while at rugby practice. I did a quick Google map search of the field, and it looked pretty barren. So I decided to walk the field before work. When I get there, the field was a solid grass carpet about 5 inches tall. It’s not going to be found by a quick walk.
 
There was a guy on the field with a human-powered push mower. I asked if his name was Chris. He looked at me with a concerned look, as I was in my work uniform, which makes me look like a police officer. He said yes, and I told him that he sent me a message that he lost a ring. There was relief on his face. He showed me the areas that he was in during practice, pretty much the whole field.
 
I told him that I wouldn’t get there until the weekend because of work and another recovery that I have today after work. He told me that his wife didn’t know he was at the practice, and he didn’t tell her that his ring was lost. They just celebrated their 4th anniversary a few days earlier.
 
I went to the beach that night to search for the other ring; I need to get into the water at low tide. There was a thunderstorm when I arrived and when the storm passed the ocean was angry. Large, powerful waves were kicking my butt. I couldn’t complete the search, so I will have to return.
I called Chris and told him that I would be at the field in an hour and 15 minutes if he wanted to meet me there. He said he couldn’t, that his inlaws were over, and he didn’t tell anyone that his ring was lost. He left the room when he saw that I was calling to answer the phone. I told him that I would spend about an hour there tonight, but it could be a several-day search because it is such a large field.
 
I knew where he placed his bag & drink. So I started there. No luck. So I started at 1 corner of the field and decided to search length-wise. I figured 1 down and back would take about an hour. There are a lot of targets. A lot of “can slaw”, cans that have been cut up by a lawnmower, leaving many aluminum pieces.
 
I got about ¾ of the way down my 1st path, and I got a good tone. I located the ring with my pinpointer. I was amazed I found it in about 30 minutes. My mom must have helped. I took a picture and sent it to Chris. He called me back about 10 minutes later, just as I was getting in my car as the skies opened up. He was in total shock. He said after he got the picture, he told his wife what happened. He said he was going to be in the dog house if I didn’t find the ring.
 
We met the next day to return the ring. Chris said he was allowed to go back to rugby practice.
 
I love my hobby!!
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Lost Ring in Bellmawr NJ While Doing Yardwork, FOUND!

 

Ernie sent me an email requesting my services. Sometime this morning while doing yard work he lost his tungsten wedding ring. I had some time this evening to search.

I met Ernie at his house and he showed me what he was doing earlier. He spread a lot of mulch and rinsed his hands a few times with a hose. The yard has a lot of thick zoysia grass. 

I started my search and found a few small pieces of aluminum siding. After about 10 minutes Erie went into the house. 5 minutes later his wife pulled up as I was getting a signal. It was Ernie’s ring. I put my finger over my mouth to give the signal to be quiet. I went over to the front door and asked Ernie to come out because I had some more questions. 

I pointed to behind some bushes asking if he was back there, his ring was on my finger. It took a while for him to realize that it was there. Another awesome look on his face. We took a few pictures and he said he would chat up my services on social media. 

2nd successful recovery of the day!

I LOVE my hobby!

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Playing With A Toddler In The Backyard…

Miranda was referred to me after posting on Facebook that she lost her rings. She contacted me 2 days ago and our calendars synced up for an early Saturday morning search. Miranda explained that she had placed her engagement ring & wedding band in her back pocket. She forgot that they were there, and started playing with her 3-year-old son in the backyard. 

The yard is a good size. She was in many spots, around the shed, sitting on the deck, and around the fort. The fort was the last stop on our tour, so that is where I began my search. 

Miranda went to move her car as I got started because she was also around her SUV in the driveway. I started to search and 3 swings in, I found both rings. They were buried deep in the grass. Less than 1 minute of searching. They couldn’t be seen without separating the blades of grass. I really thought this was going to be a very long search. I took a few pictures before she returned. 

When she came back like 3 minutes later I asked a few more questions. She was looking around the yard, as I was holding up her rings. It took a minute for her to notice them. The look on her face was priceless! She went from being depressed to being ecstatic. She couldn’t believe I had found them so fast!

I love my hobby!

 

 

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Beach Sand Almost Claims Another Ring or 3…

 

Charlotte called me yesterday asking if I could find her ring. She was on the beach playing a tossing game. When she tossed she lost her ring. I had plans today but told her I could be there this morning, bright & early. She agreed.

I got to the beach at 7:30 am. It was empty & I got an excellent free parking spot! She told me she was to the right of the trash cans, so I texted her saying I was there and started to search before she got there. Within 5 minutes I had an awesome shallow tone on the detector. I scooped up the sand and had a big silver ring in my hands. 

I was very surprised that I found it before she arrived. As I was taking pictures of the ring, Charlotte arrived. I asked her what her ring looked like, as I was going to surprise her when she described it to me. She said it was a yellow gold ring with a pearl in the center. Oh, that is not the ring I found, bonus!

She showed me the area she was in when she lost her ring. The ring was her grandmother’s ring, which has a lot of sentimental value attached to it. She said she spent several hours sifting through the sand with family looking for it. She is in the area for a family reunion. She explained to me that just last week she lost another ring on a beach in Virginia, that a family friend found with a metal detector. She didn’t learn a lesson with that loss. 

I started to grid the area she sent me to. Within 5 minutes I had that special gold tone on my detector, scooped and there was her ring. She was so happy & relieved. I asked her if she learned any lessons. She said YES, I’m never wearing rings to the beach again. She had to go back & pack as they are returning home today, to Virginia. 

I stuck around to search a little more and found another silver ring. Not bad, it was a beautiful morning on the beach!!

I Love My Hobby!!

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