✨ LOST AT THE BOTTOM OF SEBAGO LAKE: A PIECE OF A FATHER’S MEMORY ✨
On August 9th, my phone started blowing up. Tag after tag, notification after notification. The Ring Finders of Maine community was rallying, and they were pointing me directly toward a heartbreaking post on the “I Boat on Sebago Lake, Maine” Facebook group.
A woman named Gretchen had posted a plea that instantly brought a lump to my throat:
“This might be a long shot but if anyone is at the Sandbar today and happens to find a necklace that looks exactly like this, please send me or Jacob Burns a message, he lost it yesterday we think around 5:00pm and it is very special to him. Thanks in advance! Apologies for the blurry photo but it should say dad on one side and has a thumbprint on the other.”
The post included a few blurry photos, but the gravity of what was lost was crystal clear. It was a heavy sterling silver chain and pendant. On one side, a deeply etched fingerprint. On the other side, the word “DAD” followed by his birth and death dates.
WOW. 💔
🌊 AN IRREPLACEABLE LOSS
My heart sank. Jake and Gretchen have been dating for a few years now, and as his girlfriend, she knew exactly how much that piece meant to him. Jake’s father had passed away less than a year ago.
This wasn’t just a piece of jewelry. This wasn’t something insurance could replace. This was a priceless, irreplaceable piece of his dad—and right now, it was sitting somewhere at the bottom of the vast, shifting sands of the Sebago Lake Sandbar.
Thankfully, the amazing people of Facebook knew exactly what to do. The comments section exploded with people urging Gretchen to call in the reinforcements:
- “The ring finders of Maine! They are amazing at finding all the special lost things.”
- “I love to watch their adventures. Jacob Burns reach out to them, they’re your best shot.”
Gretchen and Jake did exactly that. When they reached out to me, they explained that while they knew the general area where they’d been hanging out on The Sandbar, Jake hadn’t realized the necklace was gone until much later. They had already gone back and tried searching on their own, but their efforts proved futile. By now, the heavy sterling silver pendant was most likely swallowed up by the sand in waist-deep water.
With thousands of weekend boaters, shifting currents, and the endless sand of Sebago, the odds were heavily against us. But looking at the photo of that thumbprint, I knew we had to gear up and give this family everything we had.
🛑 THE CURVEBALLS BEGIN
Planning this recovery was about to throw us a few major curveballs.
Jake’s first thought was that Gary and I could simply wade across the lake from the Sebago Lake State Park shore to reach the sandbar. Right away, my alarm bells went off. As a rule, it is highly advised NOT to attempt to reach the sandbar from the state park. The water levels change rapidly, and the area is full of dangerous drop-offs and hidden troughs.
Our safety is always paramount. Picture two “old guys” carrying heavy, expensive detecting equipment through deep, unpredictable water without knowing where the bottom drops out—there was absolutely no way I was going to let us attempt that.
Jake then offered a backup plan: he had a boat and could take us over himself. But with his intense work schedule, he only had a few specific days available, and it would have to be a 6:00 AM launch.
An early morning start was critical. If you know the Sebago Lake Sandbar, you know it gets incredibly busy fast, with boats lined up down the entire area. Trying to swing detectors around anchored boats and crowds of swimmers is nearly impossible. More importantly, the sandbar is massive. If Jake couldn’t be right there with us to point out the exact grid where they had been standing, we would be looking for a needle in a water-covered haystack.
Once we finally locked in a date to search, all we needed was a little cooperation from above. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. Our first attempt was completely rained out, forcing us to push the mission back a full week until Jake’s next day off.
By the time the big day finally arrived, that precious sterling silver pendant and necklace had been missing at the bottom of the lake for over two weeks. Two weeks of shifting waves, churning sand, and endless boat traffic.
🛥️ THE 6:00 AM LAUNCH
Gary and I met up with Jake and Gretchen promptly at 6:00 AM. The lake was completely calm as Jake navigated us out of Jordan Bay. We cut through the cool morning air, passing between Frye Island and the towering heights of Fryes Leap, heading straight across Sebago Lake toward the state park and the massive sandbar just to the west.
The boat ride took about 15 to 20 minutes, and the moment Jake threw the anchor into the shallow water, Gary and I were in the zone. In less than 5 minutes, we had our gear ready and stepped down into the water.
There wasn’t much sun that morning—just a few stray rays cutting through a cloudy, heavy, and overcast sky. The boats hadn’t arrived yet, and the water was quiet, but the gray light made it hard to see anything beneath the surface.
Having never been out to the sandbar before, I was secretly incredibly concerned about what lay beneath the sand. Knowing the insane amount of boats and beverages consumed out there, I was preparing for the absolute worst. A massive carpet of trash—bottle caps and aluminum pull tabs—would completely slow us down. Metal detectors read those items similarly to jewelry, meaning we would have to stop and dig every single piece of junk to make sure we didn’t accidentally sweep right over the sterling silver necklace.
Jake didn’t just sit on the boat and watch; he jumped right into the water with us. He thought we should head east, parallel to the shore, keeping in the waist-deep water.
To battle the clock and the threat of hidden trash, Gary and I decided to perform a synchronized “snowplow” grid search. I took the lead in front, and Gary locked in right behind me and slightly to my left. By overlapping our detector swings in this tight formation, we were able to clear a massive 10-foot-wide path with every single step we took forward.
🕵️♂️ THE SEARCH IS ON
We set out with Jake leading the way, guiding us along their path from two weeks ago. As we swept, our detectors would beep, and we’d scoop—digging a coin here and there, and the occasional pull tab or bottle cap. But after about a half hour of grid searching, Gary and I stopped and looked at each other in total shock.
We couldn’t believe just how little trash we were actually digging! We were so incredibly surprised and happy to see how beautifully clean the lake bed was. It turns out the boaters out here are incredibly responsible, respecting the waters and not polluting the lake with trash. A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE BOATERS!!! 🙌
Right around this time, Jake suddenly redirected us. He had been standing in the water studying photos on his phone from the exact day he lost the pendant, trying to line up landmarks. Realizing we were a little too far in toward the shore, he had us adjust and move further out toward the open water.
With our original snowplow grid broken by the move, I formulated a new plan on the fly. I told Gary I would head out deeper and slightly closer to the boat, while he could stay closer to where we were. We would grid this brand-new area from opposite sides, cutting a path through the sand and meeting each other somewhere right in the middle.
The Sandbar was not giving up many targets. We waded into our new positions under the overcast sky, lowered our coils back into the water, and kept swinging.
🚨 THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
We had been in the water searching for close to an hour when the quiet morning air suddenly shattered. Across the gray water, I heard Gary and Jake getting incredibly animated.
Then Gary yelled the words we had all been praying for across the open water: HE HAD FOUND BOTH THE NECKLACE AND THE PENDANT! 🎉
Even from 60 feet away, the smile on Jake’s face was absolutely unforgettable. It split across his face, bright and clear under the cloudy sky. OUTSTANDING!!!
I quickly waded my way over to them, and the sheer joy and exuberance radiating from Jake’s entire body was unmistakable. He was yelling across the water to Gretchen on the boat, his voice booming with pure relief and happiness, telling her that he had his father’s pendant once again.
What followed was a blur of celebratory handshakes, triumphant high fives, and a wave of pure emotion that I will never forget. Jake loved his father so deeply and wanted this pendant back so badly. It wasn’t just metal—it was a literal, physical piece of his father. Two long weeks of worrying, a rained-out search, and a massive body of water couldn’t keep them apart.
Once we finally made it back on shore, the celebration didn’t stop. Gary and I were showered with an endless stream of “thank you so much,” heartfelt handshakes, and massive hugs from both Jake and Gretchen.
❤️ WHY WE DO THIS
Standing there on the shore, watching the relief wash over them, it hits you right in the chest. There is something profoundly sacred about a father and son’s love for each other—a bond so powerful that it transcends even death.
That connection is exactly why Gary and I do this. Our passion isn’t just about finding lost pieces of metal; it’s about bringing irreplaceable memories back to the surface.
You see, objects can be replaced by insurance, but this item is different. This piece is the memories. It’s the tangible reminder of a father’s hand, a dad’s guidance, and a lifetime of love. Now, those precious memories are exactly where they belong—resting safely in the sterling silver thumbprint that Jake wears around his neck, held close to his heart forever. ❤️
Gary and I truly have the best job in the world, and we love every single second of what we do. It’s moments like this that remind us of our promise to all of you: If it matters to you, it matters to us.
Another priceless memory recovered by The Ring Finders of Maine. Never lose hope! 🙏 🔍 ✨
🎬 WATCH THE CELEBRATION!
Want to see the exact moment the magic happened? 🎥 We released the video Reel last night right here on The Ring Finders of Maine Facebook page!Head over to our Reels tab to check it out and see the pure joy and celebration in the waters of Sebago Lake just after the recovery. You won’t want to miss it!
🚨 LOST SOMETHING IRREPLACEABLE? WE CAN HELP! 🚨
Have you lost a wedding ring, a sentimental heirloom, or a priceless memorial piece in the water, the sand, or the snow? Don’t wait, and don’t give up hope! Shifting sands and moving waters can hide items quickly, but our heavy-duty metal detecting equipment and decades of experience can find what you thought was gone forever.
Call Dennis at The Ring Finders of Maine today:
📞 207-423-3027
- Let’s get your memories back where they belong!
