I was outside playing with my daughter and went to throw a ball for her and it slid off my finger and landed in the grass in my backyard. I looked for a couple days and raked the yard to try and pop it up out of the grass but still couldn’t find it. I found ring finders online and got into contact with Jeremy, he was able to come out and find it for within 20 minutes. 
The young lady with the huge smile on her face is Anna. Just minutes before the picture was taken, she had been crying tears of joy after I found her gorgeous two piece wedding set in her Alvaton, KY back yard.
This story goes back to July of 2026, when on the 22nd, Anna’s ring flew off her hand when she threw a ball for dogs to fetch. The back yard was huge, mostly covered in grass. She and her husband spent hours combing through the grass, but couldn’t find the ring. They had one of their friends who owned a metal detector come and look for the ring, and he too couldn’t find it. Anna found my contact information on TheRingFinders directory, and we agreed that I’d search for her ring on July 29th.
Although I did not find Anna’s ring on July 29th, I doubt I will ever forget that day. It was hot and very humid. I still searched the back yard for nearly 12 hours, focusing on the areas where we collectively believed the ring would have landed. Several 100’ tape measures set out, like I was searching a crime scene for a key piece of evidence. I was spent. Exhausted, I had to accept that I was not going to find Anna’s ring, at least on this day. Before I left, I suggested to Anna’s husband that he might want to check the roof and rain gutters just in case the ring landed there, and to also inspect under the deck since I couldn’t get under there with the metal detector.
Anna kept in contact with me over the weeks. The roof and rain gutter had been checked and no ring. Under the deck, checked, still no ring. Anna’s friend with the metal detector went back and looked some more, still no ring. There was no question that I wanted to go back to look for and hopefully find Anna’s ring, but the unusually long, hot summer was making what could be a long search, not as appealing. Then Anna sends me a text on September 14th. “We are planning on having our backyard regraded.”
Fast forward to September 22nd. I just completed a successful ring recovery in Springfield, TN, about 45 minutes south of Alvaton, KY. I’d already planned to search for Anna’s ring the following day, but in my mind there was no better time than the present to find Anna’s ring. A quick text to Anna was made and she said come on up. The temps were in the 70’s and it was overcast. I set up the 100’ measuring tapes in grid patterns again, but this time in the areas that it was highly unlikely Anna’s ring would have landed. After three hours of checking hundreds of likely targets that my metal detector alerted me to, I got another good signal. FINALLY!!! It was Anna’s ring. It’s a beautiful two piece set (not soldered together), and they had separated, but were only about two inches away from each other. I blew off the dirt and grass and saw that the centerpiece ring slid right back into the outer ring.
When I showed Anna her ring, her eyes welled up immediately and the tears of joy started flowing. Her hands were shaking and she was momentarily speechless. Anna told me that her hope for getting the ring back had dwindled down to almost nothing. She remembered how long I searched for it back in July. She remembered spending countless hours combing through the grass herself. She remembered the hours her friend with the metal detector searched for the ring. Yeah, it would have been nice if I had found Anna’s ring back in July, but it just didn’t work out that way. I think the story behind this ring and its recovery is even more meaningful, at least to me it is. I have the best job in the world.
Ori sent me a text message on September 21st inquiring if I was able to search for a ring that his wife, KC, lost one week ago. We discussed the circumstances of the situation and agreed that I would meet him at his Springfield, TN property the following day at 7:30 A.M. Ori walked me through the areas where he and KC thought the ring had most likely fell out of KC’s pants pocket. As luck would have it, the first search location was in a grassy area near the driveway, close to where I was parked. I set out several 100’ tape measures to help me search the area very thoroughly and systematically. Right at the 25 minute mark I heard the signal on my XP Deus 2 that I was hoping for. It was KC’s ring, buried deep in the grass, completely hidden from the naked eye.
I first broke the good news to KC. She was so happy to put the ring back on her finger. She told me that the center diamond in the ring had been in Ori’s family for years, so the ring was priceless and extremely sentimental to her and Ori. KC had no idea that there were any metal detecting services existed, and credits Ori for finding The Ring Finders directory online.
Since it was still early in the day, I headed north to Alvaton, KY for another ring search. Can I go two for two on successful ring recoveries? Stay tuned and find out!
COINCIDENCE, MEANT TO BE, OR NAVAJO SPIRIT? 😱💍✨
As Gary Hill and I were just finishing up with recovering Matt’s wedding ring from Tripp Lake in Poland, Maine, my phone rang.
The caller identified himself as Jack. He was visiting Maine on vacation all the way from Utah! 🌲✈️
The previous day, Jack and his wife were enjoying a hot summer day floating around Crystal Lake in Gray, Maine, right in front of their rented lakeside house. Jack told me he had taken his wedding ring off and placed it safely in his pocket while floating around. He was worried that all the paddling around with his hands in the water would make it slip off.
But when he exited the lake, his worst nightmare came true: the wedding ring was no longer in his pocket. 😣
Jack told me he had been wearing that ring for over 20 years. He was absolutely heartbroken and desperately hoping we could help.
I asked Jack what metal the ring was made of. He told me it was sterling silver with turquoise—a traditional Navajo-style wedding ring. Wow! Very cool, and incredibly unique for us to find here in Maine! I learned that these traditional Navajo rings are deeply popular in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Southwest in general. 🌵☀️
I smiled and told Jack that he was in major luck. Gary and I were literally just 7 to 8 miles away at Tripp Lake, and we could be at his rental in less than 10 minutes! 🚙💨
That’s when the story took a wild turn. 🤯
Jack told me he wasn’t even at the lake house—he was currently down in Portsmouth, New Hampshire visiting his sister! He had been venting to her about losing his precious ring, and his sister looked at him and said, “You need to call The Ring Finders of Maine right now.”
As it turns out, his sister had just read a newspaper article about us and all the success we’ve been having! 📰🙌
Think about the sheer luck of this: Jack is from Utah and had never heard of us. He loses a rare Southwestern ring in a Maine lake. He goes to New Hampshire to tell his sister, who just happens to have read an article about our recoveries. He calls us, and we are practically right down the street wrapping up another successful rescue!
Jack immediately called his wife at the lake house to let her know we were on the way. Gary and I threw our gear into The Ring Finder Mobile and took off. ⚡️
THE SEARCH BEGINS… 🕵️♂️🔍
True to our word, Gary and I arrived just 10 minutes later at the lake house in Gray. We were met by Jack’s wife, Karen. She took us down to the water, where she and her friend were sitting and enjoying the afternoon, looking out over beautiful Crystal Lake.
Karen showed us the search area, and Gary and I had to smile. We had just left a massive 15,000–18,000 square foot search area at Tripp Lake, and now we were looking at a tiny 30′ x 50′ zone—only about 1,500 square feet! 📐🙌
Karen explained that they were literally just floating around right in front of the house and hadn’t gone much past the dock. 🪵
Alright then, let’s get our gear and find this very sentimental Navajo wedding ring! 🛠️
We mapped out our battle plan: Gary’s Mission: Start grid-searching the shallow shore water and systematically work his way out deeper into the lake.
My Mission: Walk out as deep as I could safely search, then grid my way back in toward the shore and Gary.
With two detectors swinging and a perfect pincer movement, we were determined to find it. 🤞🌊
With Gary starting at the shoreline near the dock, I headed out to the deeper water in front of it. We worked in perfect unison, heading north and then turning to head south.
As I got just past the dock, I was reaching my absolute depth limit. With every step, I was sinking down about six inches into the heavy muck. I wouldn’t be able to go much further—safely, anyways. One or two more steps out into the dark, murky water, and that would have been it. 🌊
At that exact point, my detector screamed. My very first signal. 🔊
I scooped up a heavy load of muck and decaying vegetation, lifting it up to throw into my floating sifter. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Right there in the middle of the muck, I saw just a sliver of silver and blue.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! 😲💥
Not even three minutes into the hunt, on my absolute first target, I found Jack’s Navajo wedding ring! I yelled up to Karen on the shore, asking if the stones were blue turquoise. She yelled back, “YES!”
MEANT TO BE! 🙏💙
Once I got up on shore, Karen and her friend were in absolute shock. They couldn’t believe we found it, and they definitely couldn’t believe we found it so fast! 🤯
Gary and I left a very happy, appreciative, smiling Karen—but not before we got our celebratory hugs! 🤗✨
Unfortunately, I never was able to meet Jack in person, but I called him up right there from the shoreline to deliver the good news. He was completely speechless and in absolute shock! He thanked me from the bottom of his heart for saving a piece of history he thought was gone forever. 🥹❤️
Well, a little luck goes a long way, and everything about this search came together perfectly:
Jack’s sister just happening to read that newspaper article about our success.
Gary and I being a mere 10 minutes away.
Going from a massive search area to a tight 1,500 square foot spot.
And the biggest miracle of all: the ring was right at my depth limit. If it had been just one or two steps further out, I wouldn’t have been able to safely reach it! 🌊🚫
A NAVAJO BLESSING IN MAINE? 🦅✨
As I held that beautiful ring, I couldn’t help but wonder. This ring spent over 20 years on Jack’s finger, crafted in a tradition steeped in deep connection, intention, and meaning. Turquoise is known as a stone of protection and a bringer of good fortune.
To have it slip away in a dark Maine lake, only for a chain of unexplainable events to bring us right to it in under three minutes… you have to wonder if a higher energy was at work. It felt less like simple luck and more like a protective blessing guiding my scoop right to the exact spot.
WHAT A DAY! 🚗💨💨
As Gary and I were driving home to Saco, Maine, we rehashed the wild timeline of our day.
We had left Saco at 5:45 AM and headed straight to Footbridge Beach , in Ogunquit, Maine: Beautiful Place by the Sea for an unsuccessful search (at least for that day—more on that story in the future!). From there, we headed to Tripp Lake in Poland, Maine, then over to Crystal Lake in Gray, Maine.
By the time we finally pulled back into Saco, it was 2:45 PM. What a day! 9 hours on the clock and 140 miles driven, but most importantly: two more wedding rings are back on their owners’ fingers. 🛠️💍
We love our job. We truly have the best job in the world!
If it matters to you, it matters to us. 🦅❤️
THE ULTIMATE THANK YOU ✉️👇
The very next day, I received this incredible text from Jack that truly made the whole journey worth it:
“Hi Dennis, I can’t thank you enough for finding my ring yesterday. That ring meant a lot to me and I could’ve bought a new one, but it wouldn’t have been the same. You guys are incredible! The timing was unbelievable, because my sister saw the article in the paper just two days ago, and without that, we would never have known anything about you. It’s a miracle! Thank you so much, Jack H.”
💥 LOST SOMETHING PRECIOUS? TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! 💥
Did you lose your wedding ring, keys, or family heirloom in the water, sand, or snow? Don’t wait! The sooner you call, the better the chances of recovery before things shift or sink deeper.
📞 Call 207-423-3027 and ask for Dennis!
Let The Ring Finders of Maine bring your lost treasure home.
July 4th, 2026. The United States of America was busy celebrating its 250th anniversary with parades, cookouts, and family gatherings. Mitchell and Abigail were no different. They came to Lake Geneva to be with family, fellowship around the table, and simply have some fun as a newly engaged couple. But this day brought a loss they were not expecting.
Abigail cooled off that day with a jump in Geneva Lake. She swam a handful of strokes toward a floating trampoline and switched to doggy paddling. And this is when her beautiful diamond engagement ring slipped off her finger and was lost in the muck below.
And it would stay lost for 70 days.
Mitch texted me on July 6th, “My fiancé’s engagement ring came off while jumping in Lake Geneva… I’m curious if you would be able to help…”
I wasted no time getting to the site, and met up with Mitch’s mother the evening of July 6th. She shared the story, and I donned my diving gear to make my first attempt to find the ring. Little did I know it would take five more diving sessions over 70 days, the retrieval of hundreds of metal items from the lake, and nearly 9 hours of diving to find Abigail’s engagement ring.
Although I have hundreds of hours diving in the shallow waters of Geneva Lake, this particular spot was my most difficult. The seaweed, after a summer of growth, was tall and thick. The silt at the bottom stirred up almost instantly and clouded any visibility I might have had. The area between the pier and the floating trampoline was large. And then there was the trash: pull tabs, beer cans, and coins; there were sinkers and fishing lures, pier bolts and washers; boat parts, including a steering wheel, a rear-view mirror, and safety lights; a thermometer, glasses, sunglasses, a dog bowl. There was only one way to find the ring… keep digging.
I went back as often as I could: July 11, July 21, August 15, September 5, September 12. I spent about 1.5 to 2 hours each time, digging up the aforementioned “treasures.”
Mel Fisher, the famous treasure hunter, spent 17 years searching for the famous sunken Spanish treasure ship the Atocha (Nuestra Señora de Atocha). The mother lode, found in 1985, is estimated to be worth around 400 million. He had a slogan that he repeated every day, “Today’s the day!”
On the morning of September 12th, this phrase echoed in my mind as I ate breakfast and thought about my search strategy. I knew the math was in my favor. Every piece of metal I removed got me closer to zero metal targets in my search zone. The more I looked, the more ground I would cover. I would eventually land on top of the ring, and I thought, Today’s the day!
The weather was pleasant that Saturday as I narrated into my GoPro the thoughts on the day’s search. My final line was… “We’ve just got to keep persevering.” About 30 minutes later, I was able to add my post-video commentary, “We did it… I’m so relieved.. What a day! Thank you, Lord. This is the Day!”
And so the ring was found… but how to surprise Mitch and Abigail?
It’s helpful to add that over these 70 days I never actually met Mitch or Abigail. We texted and talked on the phone, but no face-to-face meetings, which gave me a fun idea. What if I could surprise them?
So instead of calling them and sharing the good news, I called Mitch’s mother to set up the surprise reveal. After a few phone calls, the plan was in place: Mitch and Abigail were asked to drive from their home near Milwaukee, WI to Lake Geneva, WI because Mitch’s parents needed to tell them something in person. They were reassured it was good news, but they needed to hear it in person: “Could they come?” Mitch and Abigail might have been a bit perturbed to receive such a short-term request on a Saturday morning, but they agreed to make the 45-minute drive.
On my end, I decided to write a short, somewhat cryptic poem, glue it to a palm-sized box with the ring inside, and then just show up at Mitch’s parents’ home to present the mystery package. Remember, they had never met me, so I was just some random guy, delivering a small, mysterious package.
After I arrived, Mitchell and Abigail came out together. The curious, maybe slightly uncomfortable, looks on their faces just added to the moment. I presented Abigail the box and asked her to read the poem aloud. She read:
Seventy days
In a watery grave
Yet hope remained
And efforts stayed
Our shared joy doubles
As the time draws near
When two become one
“Stop…” Abigail paused
And then she opened the box and her ring peered back from a cotton pillow. “Ohhhh….. Stop,” Abigail continued, and Mitchell came in for a hug.
Mitch: “I never thought I would see it again.”
Abigail: “I’ve felt naked without it.”
Mitch: “Wow. It’s unbelievable!”
The search was finally over, the ring returned, the thanks given. What a joy to be able to help people like Mitch and Abigail! If you or someone you know has lost a phone, ring, or other jewelry item, please call. The smiles I enjoy when returning lost items are one of the best parts of what I do.
On a recent Saturday, I was contacted by a young lady who was very upset. She told me that while accompanying a group of youngsters at The Army Heritage Center Foundation at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, she lost her ring; actually 3 rings soldered together. I agreed to meet her at the location the next day, rain or shine.
It is important to state that while I never disclose a location that I search, this was very different. The Army Heritage Center Foundation is a federal facility and is open to the public. Metal detecting is not allowed on the property but I was granted special permission by the young lady discussing the matter with management. This location contains historical exhibits for every war in which this country was engaged. If you are ever visiting this area it would be worthy of your time to visit this wonderful site.
On the morning as I drove to the site, the weather was terrible with very heavy rain. I was prepared so the rain was not much of an issue. Fortunately, as I arrived at 0845, the rain ended with only a couple of mild showers coming later while searching. The young lady warned me that the area was large. It is 54.79 acres. This was going to be a challenge but I don’t back down from one. If the ring was there, I would find it no matter how many hours or days it took.
After meeting the lady she led me to all of the areas where she had walked. Searching began at 0915 and I did not stop until 1710, taking about 15 minutes for an energy drink. I knew the lady was disheartened that the ring had not yet been located. I told her that if it was found on a Saturday, and the building is not open on Sunday, that there was a chance that it might be turned in. I gave her some other advice as to what she could do in the meantime but I assured her I was not finished and was scheduled to return. Prior to reaching out to me, she had contacted two other “Ringfinders”, John and Brian, and both agreed that if needed, they would be willing to assist. A special “Thank You” to each for the offers. Both were going to come on the following weekend if needed; a long drive for each.
As stated, the exhibits covered the various war periods. When we were near the Vietnam War exhibit, the lady was talking to someone so I was alone. She did not notice that I stopped detecting for a couple of minutes as I looked at a map of Vietnam. Memories hit me of things I won’t ever forget. Also, it is fitting to state here that I thought of my high school buddy, Robert Francis Stryker, a hero and a member of the U.S. Army. During my own tour of duty in Vietnam, while I was hundreds of miles north, Stryker was involved in a fierce battle in the south. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his unselfish actions in that battle. Later, an Army combat vehicle was named after him. So there I was looking for a lost ring while lost, dormant memories had suddenly returned to me.
After searching for 8 hours, I was exhausted. I was going to come back in a couple of days to cover some areas that had not been checked. If not successful, I was ready to contact John and Brian to unleash the “calvary” on the following weekend.
On Monday morning, while checking and cleaning my equipment I received a telephone call from the lady who had lost the ring. She informed me that someone found the ring near an exhibit on Saturday and had just now turned it in at the Center. She said the “finder” did not leave a name so she could not thank the person for their act of kindness. If that person ever reads this, please contact me so that I can put you in touch with a very thankful person.
I have never made a post about something not found but I felt this one was different. My hope is that for those who read this that they will agree and understand. And if you are a Vietnam Veteran, Welcome Home!
We got a text from Alan on a Saturday afternoon asking if we could come out to his 5-acre farm in Washougal, WA, to help locate his lost wedding ring. Alan had been planting some trees on his property when he lost his rose gold wedding band.
The beautiful rose gold band isn’t perfectly round. It’s almost square-shaped with rounded corners, and because of that, it had a tendency to slip off his finger whenever he pulled his thick leather work gloves off.
Alan told me that he had actually thought he lost his slightly oversized ring once before while working outside, only to find it wedged perfectly upright inside the ring finger of his left-hand glove. He made a mental note from then on to leave his wedding ring inside while he was working, but on this particular day, he forgot to take it off.
My wife and I showed up at his beautiful farm the next day with two metal detectors. My wife was running her Nokta Legend, and I was running my Minelab Manticore.
Alan showed us three areas of the property where he believed the ring could have been lost. He said he had removed his gloves multiple times that day, and he believed that one of those times the ring must have slipped off his finger as he pulled the glove off.
My wife and I started gridding the two areas near the freshly planted trees. Apart from finding some old buried beer cans and a ton of iron signals, however, the ring was nowhere to be found.
We had one more area to search—the section of gravel driveway where Alan parks his tractor every night.
We searched all around the tractor, but still had no luck.
Just as we were getting ready to head back out into the field to re-grid the area, I noticed Alan’s leather work gloves sitting on the floorboard of the tractor.
I picked up the gloves and gave them a good shake, just in case, but nothing came out. I tossed the gloves on the ground in front of me and decided to run my Manticore over them, just to make absolutely sure nothing was stuck inside.
When I passed over the right glove, the detector stayed completely silent.
But as soon as I passed over the left glove, I got a clean, crisp, LOUD signal.
I reached down, picked up the glove, and started massaging each finger, feeling around for whatever metal was setting off the detector.
Sure enough, buried deep inside the fingertip of the pointer finger of the left glove was a hard, round object.
I had to really work at getting the object out because it was jammed tightly inside the finger of the glove. But after a few seconds of working it loose, Alan’s beautiful rose gold wedding ring finally slid out into my hand.
The ring had been hiding in the glove the entire time.
Another successful recovery alongside my wonderful wife—and another very happy customer!
Sometimes the best signals aren’t buried in the ground at all. ❤️💍
I was contacted over the weekend by a student who had just started university.
From what I understand there was some sort of initiation process going on in the beautiful park nearby, which overlooks Oxford, with an amazing view of many of the spires of the university.
This initiation took the form of rolling down a mild slope of the park, with possibly some sort of inebriation involved? also being dark, what could go wrong?
So we arranged to meet in the park for a search. Luckily the grass hadn’t been cut, but in a few more days, this would have been on the cards.
The area to be searched was probably about 500 square meters, so I set about searching. There were many very nice signals going on which were all sub surface, so had to be ignored! Eventually, quite near my last corner marker, a beautiful clear tone, then there it was, a very nice engraved signet ring recovery in some getting long grass.
Very happy student, and detectorist!
A customer reached out to me to locate a lost 14K wedding band. He had lost the ring while mowing the grass in the backyard near his children’s playground. He usually would put the ring in his pockets for ‘safekeeping’ while doing yard work; however, on this occasion he also had his cellphone in the same pocket. As would be expected, he would receive a call or text and remove the phone from his pocket. By the end of the day he realized his ring was no longer in his pocket and suspected he dropped it while taking the phone out of his pocket.
I went to his home the next morning and was able to locate the ring after some short gridding. Beautiful 14K gold wedding band!
Happy Customer and Happy Hunting
I received a message from a customer asking for my assistance in locating his lost wedding band. He had been practicing softball with his daughters before a game and was on a side field adjacent to the main softball field when he lost it.
The customer was about an hour away from returning to the ballpark, but he texted me several photos of the area while traveling back. Since I was only a short distance away, I gathered my gear and headed over to begin the search.
When I arrived, I was fortunate to have some help from others who were already assisting with the search. The customer arrived a short time later and explained exactly what had happened. As he was running up a slight hill, he removed the glove from his left hand. When he reached the top of the hill, he realized his wedding ring was missing.
A small group had already searched the area without success. I began my search by gridding across most of the likely sections, but the ring remained elusive.
Just as I was preparing to call it a day, I decided to make one last sweep along the edge of the field as I headed back toward my truck.
That’s when my XP Deus II gave me a VDI 55 signal.
I recovered the target…💍 RING FOUND!
The customer, his wife, and everyone at the field table were absolutely ecstatic when I handed the ring back to him.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of returning something so meaningful to its owner.
Happy Customer — Happy Hunting! 🤘
