Dennis Boothby, Author at The Ring Finders

Gold Wedding Ring With Diamond Lost In Portland Maine Backyard, Found Without A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Thursday September 25th, I had an appointment in Portland,Maine. Just as I was approaching Portland, I received a Phone call from Deborah, about a lost ring. We made plans for Cheryl and I to meet her, as soon as my appointment was over.

Once Cheryl and I arrived at Deborah’s home, Deborah told us that approximately a week earlier she had been sitting on her deck, in the backyard. Deborah had been gardening and her fingers were very sweaty, so she had taken her three rings off and placed them on the table.While sitting at the table, someone bumped into the table and her three rings went spilling, onto the deck. Everyone immediately started looking for the rings and two of Deborah’s rings were found immediately, including her engagement ring. One ring was on the deck and the other ring was found down on the bricks, that surrounded the deck. The missing third ring is Deborah’s wedding ring and she desperately wanted to find it. After searching for a while, the ring was not found. The consensus was that the ring must have somehow slipped through the very narrow boards, of the deck and ended up under the deck. The other theory, as to where the wedding ring had ended up was that it rolled into the leaves and or plants, around the deck and garden. Unfortunately, a visual search did not find the ring. Deborah also had someone come over and remove two of the boards, on the deck, hoping the ring would be found or seen. Once again, no ring was in sight.
Since Cheryl and I we were already on our way to my appointment, in Portland, I didn’t have any of my metal detecting equipment or flashlights. We decided to perform a visual search in the leaves and as best we could, under the deck. We also were not able to visually see the ring. I told Deborah that I could certainly come back with all my equipment and search for her wedding ring. Deborah told us that she and her husband were leaving for Boston, the next day and would be gone, until early the following week. We made plans to communicate on Monday and set up a time for Cheryl and I to come back and search, once again. On Monday, we decided to meet today, Thursday, October 2nd, to search for her wedding ring.
Cheryl and I arrived this morning and were promptly met by Deborah and her husband, Bill. This time however, Cheryl and I had brought my metal detector, pinpointer, flashlights, a small rake and a borescope (very similar to an endoscope, but not for medical use). Our plan was to first search the area under the deck, where the boards were taken off. I would use the small rake and reach underneath the deck and rake everything towards the opening of the removed boards. I would then search search the raked up debris with my metal detector. As I was doing this, Cheryl would check the other area of the deck, by using a flashlight to look between the gaps, of the boards, with a flashlight. If nothing was seen, we would use the Borescope, up and down the deck , between all gaps, in the boards. If we still hadn’t found the ring, we would then start searching, away from the deck, in the leaves and plants.
After raking the debris forward, I was searching under the deck, with my metal detector. Cheryl had the flashlight and was searching the gaps. I found a piece of metal and gave it to Deborah and that’s all I found, under the first removed board. Cheryl was working her way towards the other end of the deck and had moved the table, so she could get a better look, in between the gaps. All of a sudden, Cheryl blurts out, “ I SEE THE RING”. Deborah and I both went over to Cheryl and Cheryl showed us the ring, between the gap, of the boards. The ring had actually gone in a slightly opposite direction, as the other two rings. It was not near either removed board and was on the other side of a supporting beam, for the deck. Deborah said she had something that may work, in getting the ring. It was a wire hook and Cheryl was able to hook the ring but the ring would not straighten out and wouldn’t fit through the gap. As Cheryl lifted the hooked ring up to the gap, I slid my arm under the support beam, as far as I could and I was able to get a hold on the ring. Once I was able to remove the ring, from the hook, I pulled the ring, out from under the deck and handed the wedding ring to Deborah. Deborah immediately stated “You have no idea how happy I am to have my wedding ring back.” By the smile on Deborah’s and Bill’s faces, we had a pretty good idea. Cheryl asked the couple how long they have been married and their reply was “Forever”. Bill and Deborah told Cheryl and I the story of their wedding rings. The wedding rings were custom made by Portland Old Port Jeweler, Designs by CC and Bill’s ring is the same ring, minus the diamond. A his and hers set, so to speak. Now the missing ring is back with its mate and everyone is all smiles. We love being able to help others out in their time of need, like Deborah. Cheryl and I love our jobs 😀❤️🙏

 

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Lost Gold Signet Ring Found With A Metal Detector, Buried In The Grass For The Second Time, In Portland Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received the following text, on Friday afternoon, September 2th, 2025,

‘Hello, I hope you’re doing well and had a great summer!

A few weeks ago, my husband lost his ring in either our front or backyard and we have been looking for it since. We even bought our own metal detector but have had no success. Feeling a little hopeless, we are reaching out to see if you’ll be able to help us find it!

We are unsure if it was spotted in the front yard and someone took it, or if it is buried under some grass. Knowing it’s been weeks, we are now looking for some closure.Funny enough, you helped us find this ring in the winter under some snow. We would love if you could help us out one last time.”

 

Wait, What do you mean that I had already found this ring once? A repeat customer? I immediately called back and Alexa answered. Alexa explained that I had found her husband’s Gold Signet Ring, back in February, after he had slipped and fallen, on the ice, in their driveway, of their Portland Maine home. Ethan had been snow blowing the driveway, when he slipped on a patch of ice, sending him to the ground, hard. His Gold Signet Ring went flying off his finger. I found his Gold Signet Ring the next morning, under the snow and ice.

This time however, Alexa explained that she and Ethan had been moving their kayak’s from the vehicle out in front of their house, to the backyard. They had walked across the front lawn and the driveway. Once in the backyard, Ethan washed the kayaks, prior to hanging them up, on their fence. Ethan also had gone to other areas, in the backyard, while performing yard work, etc.. Alexa told me the ring had been missing for approximately 2-3 weeks and Ethan actually went and purchased a metal detector and searched the front, side and backyard, without finding the gold signet ring. They had also raked the lawn, hoping the ring would be removed from the thick grass, of some of the areas. It was then they decided to mow the lawn and hopefully see it, once the grass was cut. After mowing the lawn, they also visually searched. barefoot, hoping they would feel the ring, if stepped on. Still no ring. Alexa and Ethan had given up hope of finding the ring, on their own. They even thought the ring may have been found already, if the ring had been lost on the front lawn, near the street, where any passerby may have seen it, just lying there. I told Alexa that the ring being lost near the street was also a concern of mine. She was correct in thinking that a passerby could have seen the ring and taken it. I also conveyed my concern of mowing the lawn. Lawn mowers have been know to damage rings and also throw a ring, out of the area, you thought it may be in. In summary, you should never, ever mow a lawn, until the area has been searched with a metal detector and by a knowledgable and experienced metal detectorist. If at all possible, the area should not be disturbed, in any manner, until the area has been searched, with a metal detector. It is also recommended to not wait to contact someone to search. Time is of the essence and the odds of finding a lost ring diminishes the longer it is missing. Not impossible, by any means, but just tougher to find. 

Alexa and I agreed, for me to search their property the next morning, at 8:00am. I arrived just prior to 8:00am and Ethan came right outside. Ethan then ran through the events of the day, when lost the signet ring.  He then walked me around the property, showing me where he had been that day, 3 weeks ago. The ring could be pretty much anywhere on the property. Ethan told me that he had become frustrated, with the metal detector because it was making so many noises and there wasn’t anything there and just gave up. I told him it is understandable because of his inexperience and all the metal, in the area. My concerns were that the fenced in backyard had a lot of metal around, including the fences. It is tough for an experienced detectorist to search around so much metal, never mind someone using a metal detector, for the first time. I am a methodical, grid searching kind of guy. I like to start at the beginning of an area (this time, the front lawn) and grid search towards the backyard, until I have searched the entire property. I do this every time, unless the client can tell me with certainty, the ring will not be in an area. Ethan couldn’t do that and I went with my tried and true grid search. Ethan then went inside and told me to just knock on the door, if I needed anything. Looking at the property, I knew I could search the front, side and backyard in 45 minutes ro an hour, as it really wasn’t very large. I started the grid search at the street and worked my way towards  the house. Nothing even close to being a gold ring was found. I did locate a quarter, on top of the ground and placed it on the asphalt, of the driveway. So Ethan or Alexa, Just next to the front lawn and behind your vehicle, I left you a quarter, if you would like to go out and get it. So, back to the search. The front lawn only took me 10-12 minutes and the side lawn another 5 minutes. No ring was found. I then went to the back yard and my detectors couldn’t get very close to the fence or propane tanks. I actually used my pinpointer, around those areas, in the thick grass. Still no ring. As I worked my was along the backside of the house, I came upon the area across from the water spigot and hose. This is the ares that Ethan had washed the kayaks in. Just as I was almost past the hose, I received a loud target, reading 56-57, on my VDI Screen. Interestingly enough, I had refreshed my memory of the first search, by reading he story of me finding Ethan’s signet ring, back in February. His signet ring rang up as a 55, when I found it, in the snow and ice.  So a 55 on the VDI Screen, 7 months earlier and now a 56-57. Could this be his lost ring? I looked down in the thick grass and couldn’t see anything.  I turned my pinpointer on and located the target. I then pushed back the grass a little bit and I saw a small section of a gold ring. Ethan’s ring had been found. I then called Alexa, asking her “ Could you and Ethen come outside. I have something for you?” Alexa screamed into the phone, “You’ve got to be kidding me” and before I knew it, Ethan came running out the back door and appeared in the backyard, with Alexa. I showed them the general area, the ring was located but the ring was still hidden. I ran my coil over area and Ethan then moved some of the grass back and he saw his ring, for the first time in weeks. It is still amazing to me, that these large rings just disappear and cannot be seen, in the grass. So Ethan has his Gold Signet Ring back, once again and everyone was happy and smiling. Ethan said he would look into getting his ring resized and I also suggested a silicone ring adjuster/sizer. They work great and are only around $10.00 at Amazon or Walmart, compared to a few hundred dollars to get a gold ring resized. Just before I left I gave  Ethan a quick tutorial on the metal detector he had bought. I told him if he lost his ring again, he should be able to now find it with his detector and if he doesn’t find his ring, he can always call me back, once again and I will be happy to help. I love my job

 

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Mailbox Key Lost In The Grass And Leaves, In Well’s Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received the following text message on Sunday, just after noon time.

“I have a lost mailbox key, I live in the Town of Wells, Maine. It’s in my driveway or front yard. Is this something you can help with?”

To make things quicker, I called her back just a few minutes after receiving the text message. I was able to talk with Kim. Kim told me that the previous evening, when she came home after work, she checked her mailbox, at the front of the property and next to the driveway, of the complex. After checking her mailbox, Kim walked across the driveway and lawn, to her front door. When she arrived at the front door, she went to unlock the door and she noticed that the mailbox key was no longer on her keychain, next to her house key. Those were the only two keys, on this particular keychain. Kim told me the keychain had broken recently and she had fixed it but it was now broken again and her mailbox key was no where to be found. Kim told me that she had searched for almost 1 1/2 hours, the previous evening but could not find it. She told me that there were lots of leaves, tall grass in a few spots and the key was gold colored and would blend in with the dead grass. I asked her how big of an area she had walked across and she replied that it really wasn’t a large area but she just couldn’t find it. So, I told Kim I could help her and Kim told me she was at work and she had a friend that was going to look for the key,this afternoon. Kim also wanted to search again when she got home, around 5:00pm. If Kim or her friend were unable to find the key,b she would call me, around 5:30pm.
Neither Kim or her friend were able to find the key and Kim called me, as planned. I told her I could be there in 30 to 40 minutes, with my metal detector. Once I arrived, Kim was standing in the driveway waiting for me. I surveyed the area and saw lots of leaves, around the mailbox. Kim told me that she had moved some of the leaves around but still couldn’t find the key. I came up with my plan of action and would start the search, next to the mailbox. If I didn’t find it there, Kim would take the same route she had taken the previous evening, to her front door. I would follow her and search along the way.
As I was searching around the mailbox, I received quite a few targets, in the leaves. Unfortunately, once I pinpointed the targets, they were all in the ground, other than a Stinking Lincoln penny and the key would not be under ground. Once I finished the mailbox area, I started across the gravel driveway and received a very nice target, with the VDI screen showing it was on the surface, to two inches deep, in the ground. As I ran my pinpointer over the gravel driveway, I found my target. Unfortunately it wasn’t the key, just another Stinkin Lincoln penny. Once on the grass, of the front yard, Kim told me that she didn’t remember the exact route she took but it would be within a 10’ to 15’ wide path. I told her I would perform a north to south grid search and expand it to about 20’, just to be safe and who knows, the key may have been kicked, while kicking the leaves away. My first grid pass had me closer to the street and I searched towards the house. Nothing found above ground and a few targets, pinpointed, were under the surface. I stepped over and headed back to the south and the road. After a few steps, I received a loud repeating signal and when I looked down, THERE WAS THE SMALL MAILBOX KEY. Totally visible now that the few leaves that had been on top of it, were knocked away, by my coil. I turned to Kim said, ‘ Come and take a look at this.” As she walked towards me I pointed to the ground and said, “there it is.” Kim couldn’t believe that they hadn’t found the key earlier. I told her it was hiding, under a few leaves. Kim was extremely happy to have her key back. She didn’t has a spare key and who knows how much it would have cost to get a locksmith to come out and make a new one. Possibly the management company of the complex could have another key made but again, how much would they charge her for losing it? So Kim is going to be buying a new keychain and get a spare made, of her key. After the thank you’s and hug, I left with a nice big smile, knowing that Kim won’t be stressed out this evening, like she was the previous evening. I love my job.😃❤️🙏

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Heirloom 14K Gold Pendant Lost In Sand And Grass Area, In Arundel, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a message, from Chelsea, on Saturday evening, asking if I would be able to search for a lost necklace and pendant. I immediately called Chelsea back. Chelsea told me that her 13 year old daughter, Emma, had lost a Gold Necklace and Pendant, at a family birthday party. The birthday party was at Chelsea’s father’s property, in Arundel, Maine. Chelsea told me that there were many adults and children looking for the necklace and pendant but they just could’t find them, even though they knew the approximate area, the necklace and pendant were lost in. Chelsea even told me that the pendant had been found once and then Emma dropped it, only to disappear again, right at her feet, as she was standing there. With it now being just after 5:00pm and the sun setting before 7:00pm now, we made plans for me to arrive at Chelsea’s fathers house, at 8:00am, the next morning. Chelsea the sent me the address of her father’s house and his phone number. If I needed anything, I could contact her father, Leroy. With the gold pendant and necklace being on private property, the gold items would be safe overnight.
So early this Sunday morning, I arrived at Leroy’s property and Leroy was already outside, still searching for the necklace and pendant. When I introduced myself. Leroy told me that the necklace had been found and it was just the pendant, still missing. Leroy took me over to where Emma had been standing, when she dropped the pendant. I looked at the area and mentioned to Leroy that I would think the pendant would have been visible, after being dropped. Leroy agreed and told me the adults were astonished the pendant wasn’t visible in the very short grass and sand. We started talking about the pendant possibly being dropped in another area and Emma thought she was in this area. Leroy was absolutely sure that Emma had been standing, in this area, when she dropped the pendant. Leroy also conveyed that the previous evening, Emma had checked her clothing, thinking the pendant may have somehow landed in her pocket or shoes. No pendant was found. At this point, Emma’s father, Nate arrived and he also went through the entire turn of events and his and Leroy’s story was exactly the same. The pendant had to be in this area. I was then told that the previous evening, a rake was used, in searching for the pendant. Could the pendant have been moved, out of the area, by the rake? Could the pendant have covered up with the sand/loose gravel, by the rake? We shall find out. I told Nate and Leroy that I would grid search the area from near the vegetation, along the pond, to the driveway and repeat that process, until the area had been 100% searched. If I didn’t find it, in the area, I would start expanding the area of search.
The grid search line from the vegetation to the driveway, was maybe 20’. It wouldn’t take me long to cover the entire area. As I made my way towards the driveway, I received a few non ferrous targets that I knew wouldn’t be the pendant but I checked them with my pinpointer anyways, for due diligence sake and being thorough. All targets were in the ground and were not the pendant. As I turned and headed back towards the pond, same thing was happening. A few targets being checked out but the pendant was still missing. I then headed back towards the driveway and a few steps in, I heard the tone I had been hoping for. A loud, repeatable low tone, showing up a very solid 18, on the VDI Screen. This just had to be the pendant but when I looked down at the patchy grass and sand/loose gravel, there was nothing there. As the three of us were there looking at the ground, I grabbed my pinpointer and started searching the sand/loose gravel area and all of a sudden, I see a tiny piece of gold and then I saw the outline of a pendant. Emma’s pendant had been found. Leroy, Nate and myself marveled at how the gold pendant blended in with the sand/loose gravel and surrounding area. We also talked about how the pendant ended up, beneath the sand/loose gravel. Could the foot traffic in the area, while searching have covered it up? Could the raking have covered it up? It was very close to where Emma thought she had dropped the pendant but was just hiding, under the sand/loose soil.
Nate and Leroy then told me the story of the gold necklace and pendant. Chelsea had actually bought them, when she was around 16 years old, with her own hard earned money. As Emma always loved the necklace, Chelsea passed it down to Emma. Thankfully the necklace and pendant will now be back together, once the necklace is repaired. UnfortunatelY, I was not able to meet either Chelsea or Emma but Nate is going to make sure Emma gets her gold pendant back. As I was leaving, I saw the smiles on Leroy and Nate’s faces and although I could’t see my smile, as I walked to my vehicle, I also was wearing a large smile. Love my job!!! It’s the best job in the world.
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5 Lost Property Markers Found In Cumberland Center, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a call from Jim, concerning some property markers, that he couldn’t locate. Jim related to me that there should be 11 different property markers, on his property, in Cumberland Center, Maine. Jim knew where five of the property markers were. He only really needed to locate three of them, to an adjoining property and he had a good idea, as to where the three markers would be, by measuring from the known property pins. He asked if I would be able to help him locate just three of the missing pins.

I told Jim I would be happy to help him and that I would bring a 300’ tape measure, to measure the distances from one property pin, to the area that missing property pin should be in. I also told Jim that even though it is illegal to remove these property markers, in the State of Maine, many people have removed them. I told him that even at my home, I was only able to locate 2 of the six property markers. I was told by my neighbor, 30+ years ago the front 2 property pins had been removed, by a previous owner, because the previous owner didn’t like them, because of the lawn mowing. I have also searched on other properties and have heard similar stories of property markers being remove for lawn mowing purposes or ascetics , the property owners just don’t like looking at them. It’s always a hit or miss with property markers.
I arrived at Jim’s home and he was totally prepared, with the map of the property, with dimensions and Jim had already measured out the areas and placed a wooden stake, in the ground. The wood stake should be very close to where the property pins should be. Jim took me to the area of where the first property pin he needed to find and there was a wooden stake. Jim told me that it may be under a Rhododendron plant. I started metal detecting on the inside of the Rhododendron plant and I couldn’t locate the property pin, but did find the usual old rusty iron nails. I then went to the other side of the plant and almost immediately received a nice loud ferrous target. I wiped away the leaves and there it was, the property pin. It was barely showing but I could see the yellow cap and a bit of the metal pin. I dug out around it and Jim was delighted that we had found property pin #1. One down, two to go. The next property pin was going to be a straight line, from the pin I had just found. Jim and I measured the distance out to the next pin. I started searching with my metal detector again and there were all kinds of targets but no property pin, in the area. Lots and lots of yard trash and yes, even more nails. Jim was baffled and went to get the map. He said it should be there but it wasn’t. Jim wanted to move on to property pin #3 and this pin should line up, with the pin we couldn’t find. Once again, Jim had measured out property pin #3, from a know property pin and Jim took me up to the known pin and showed me, the location. We then went to the area of property pin #3 and Jim had a wooden stake there, signaling the area, the property pin should be in. Jim and I then walked to the area of property pin #2, that we didn’t find. My metal detector was still there and Jim then proceeded to his house, to get a long handled shovel. I grabbed my metal detector and went to try and find property pin #3. After a few minutes of some more rusty nails, I received a loud high pitched ferrous target. I took my spade and dug the target out and there it was, a metal property marker. This one was broken and was missing the yellow cap but there it was. When Jim returned with the shovel, I showed him what I had found and again, he was delighted, that property pin #3, had been found. Now we just needed to find property pin #2. This time, we would measure from pin #3 and see if the area would be the same, as from measuring from pin #1. Once thee measurement was taken, the area was off by 5 to 6 feet. How could that be? Why was the measurement 5-6 feet closer to pin #3, than the measurement, from pin #1? As Jim scanned the map, he noticed that he had measured, to a fence post, being shown on the map and not the actual property marker. Once this was corrected, the new location was actually in some small trees and bushes. I pushed some branches and bushes away and took a look inside. WOW!! I could see a large iron pipe sticking up through the vegetation. Now we just had to take measurements from both pin #1 and pin #3, to verify this iron pipe is the actual property marker. Both measurements were within an inch of where they were suppose to be. Now all three property markers had been found and Jim was just so happy. Jim was now planning on digging the pins out just a little more, especially pin #3, since it had broken off, in the ground. Jim was then going to spray paint them orange, for better visibility. As we were walking back ti to house and my vehicle, Jim asked if I would mind finding three more property markers. He told me the three I had already found were the important ones, that he needed to know the location of but he would like to just know where the others were. I told Jim absolutely, “I’m already here, lets do it”
So now we needed to find pins #4, #5 and #6. Pin #4 would be directly across from Jim’s house and on the other side of the driveway. The other two pins were at the front of the property, along the road. Starting with pin #4, I started searching near the wooden post, that Jim had already put in the area. Within a minute or so, I received a nice loud target and when I looked down, I could see just a little bit of a familiar looking yellow cap, in the grass. It was pin #4. That was easy. Jim and I then measured down to the location of where pin #5 should be and once again, Jim had already placed the wooden post, in the area. Being near the road, it is my experience that there is usually a lot of trash and my experience was proved correct. Just a lot of different targets that I had to go through. After 6-7 minutes of searching, I received the target I was looking for. I could not see this one and when I dug it, I saw pin #5. It was missing a yellow cap but did have red colored piece of ribbon, tied around it. Wow, to easy when there are no bushes or trees. Pin #6 would be directly down the street, just 80’ from pin #5. We measured out the 80 ‘ and started searching the grassy lawn area. Again, lots of trash and nails but no property marker. I continued to search in a 10” radius, from where the pin should be but it just isn’t there. As Jim and I were still searching, Jim’s neighbor, Casey, came home. Casey came over and we told him we couldn’t find the property marker. Casey told us he knew where his left front marker was and we measured the 164’, from Casey’s property to where the pin #6 should be and we were exactly where it should be. Measured from bot Jim’s hand Casey’s known markers came out the exact spot. Unfortunately , it just wasn’t there. Jim and Casey were ok with that and actually put a wooden in the mutually agreed spot, just to mark the spot. Neither of them have anything planned for the area, but they now know where pin #6 should be.
So a morning spent searching for, ultimately, six different property markers, turned out quite successful. Jim was very pleased that the three pins he wanted to find, were found and two of the other three pins found, were a bonus. Jim thanked me, posed a a photo at pin #4 and thanked me again for helping him. His smile said it all and that always puts a smile on my face. I have the best job in the world.😃❤️🙏

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Tungsten Wedding Ring Lost In Backyard Grass, In Auburn, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received I received the following message, from Kerry,

“Hello,
My son in law lost his wedding band at his home in Auburn, Maine. He was on the roof cleaning gutters and thinks the ring came off when he took his gloves off. Can you give me an idea what your pricing is and if you travel to that area or know someone who does?

We did borrow a metal detector and have checked the backyard and the gutters already with no luck. But also we have no idea what we’re doing!

I look forward to hearing from you

Thanks, Kerry ****

A friend of Kerry’s, Michelle (a follower of our Facebook Page) told her about The Ring Finders of Maine and our success, at finding lost rings. Michelle suggested to Kerry that she should contact me and Kerry did just that. I was actually on the road, when the message came in and I messaged her back, asking Kerry if she could call me and I would be able to talk to her, with my hands free technology. While talking to Kerry, I told her this was something I could definitely do and asked if she could forward Jeremy’s contact information. Kerry did forward the information and the next day, I called Jeremy.
When I called Jeremy. he explained that he had been up on the roof, in the back of the house, approximately a week earlier, removing leaves, from the gutter. He was wearing gloves and was removing the leaves and debris, from the gutters with both a leaf blower and his hands. As Jeremy working, up on the roof, his family was in the backyard, helping pick up the leaves and debris, that came off the roof. While everyone was out back working, they all heard a thud, clunk or clank. Something came off the roof and had made a noise, when the object hit something, like the back deck, bulkhead or even the side of the house. No one saw what it was, that came off the roof, but they all heard it. No one thought to much of it, until later in the day, when Jeremy realized his wedding ring was not on his finger. They all went to the backyard, remembering the clunk, they had heard. After all, Jeremy had taken his gloves off, multiple times, while up on the roof and it made perfect sense that when the gloves came off, so didn’t the wedding ring. As everyone was searching for the ring, they realized this wouldn’t be as easy as they thought. The ring could not be found, in the small area, of the backyard. Could the ring have ended up under the porch, where there was a bunch of firewood? There was also some firewood stacked against the house and covered by a tarp. Could the ring have ended up behind this pile of wood. Jeremy told me he was never on the roof, in the front of the house and that area, wouldn’t need to be searched. I told Jeremy that I could be at his home, in Auburn , the next morning and search for the ring.
I arrived at Jeremy’s home at 8:15am and Jeremy was also arriving back to his home, after dropping the kids off at school. Jeremy immediately took me out to the back yard and showed me the area. I looked at the backyard and told Jeremy that I would be able to cover the entire area, in less than an hour. If I wasn’t able to locate the ring, in the backyard, I would then start searching the woodpiles and under the porch. Jeremy and family members had also continued searching the backyard , for the last week or so. Still no ring. I asked Jeremy what metal the ring was made of and he thought it was Tungsten, but wasn’t truly positive. No problem, I would investigate all the non ferrous targets. I told Jeremy that I would grid search the backyard, starting as far back, in the yard as I could go and search up to the house and porch area, then to as far back as I could go. I would repeat this sequence until I found the ring or I finished the back yard. Jeremy, who works from home thanked me for coming out to help but he needed to get inside, for a meeting. As I grid searched the backyard, I was finding the usual backyard targets, like coins, pull tabs and various nails and screws. Almost all, were under the ground. After a half hour or so, I had searched the entire backyard and the wedding ring, was not found. Since I finished the backyard, on the right rear corner (as you faced the house, from the street), I decided to continue to search the side lawn, of that area. Jeremy came out and I told him that I just wanted to search the sides of the house, to eliminate all the grassy areas. If I didn’t find the ring, on either side of the house, I would then search, under the rear deck and wood piles. I finished the right side of the house and still no ring. I then went to the left side of the house and started searching that small area. Again, just the usual yard targets, but no ring. As I was approaching the driveway, and end of the left side of the house, I received a very loud repeating signal, reading 28 on the VDI Screen and it was showing the target was from 0 to 2 inches. I immediately looked down into the grass, but didn’t see the target. I bent over with my pinpointer and moved some grass around, until the pinpointer went off and then I could see the outline of a ring, Jeremy’s wedding ring. I took a few photos and set Jeremy a text, asking him if he could come out, for a minute. Once arrived, I asked him a few questions, to distract him and then asked him to come over near me. I then asked him to look in this area and as he was looking, I said, “Do you see your ring, because I found it.” He replied “really?’ and looked at me stunned. I told him to look straight down and it took a few seconds, but he saw the ring. Jeremy reached down and picked up his ring, saying “oh, there it is, Thank you so much.” Jeremy was now smiling wear to ear and I could see the change, in his demeanor. Jeremy looked around the area and asked me, “how did it get over here.” My reply was “I have no idea”. Jeremy the said that no one even looked in this area, because it wasn’t near the backyard area, where they thought the ring would be. After all, they had heard a clunk, out back and assumed it was the ring. I told him that the wedding ring could have gotten to this area, any number of ways. He had been taking is gloves on and off and possibly the wedding ring was in the glove, as he was walking, back to the driveway and door to the house area. The ring could have fallen out of the glove, at that point. If someone loses a ring but does not see or feel the ring come off, it could be anywhere. As you have all heard before, if we don’t find the ring, in the area it was thought to be in, we expand the search area. That is what I did today. Don’t give up and keep expanding the area.
Jeremy still couldn’t believe I found the wedding ring, up in that area but was very thankful and complimentary, telling me that I I had come highly recommended and that “Now I know why.” It’s always great to receive compliments and it is also great to see smiles on my clients faces, once again. What turned out to be a stressful week, for Jeremy, was now over. As I was leaving, I saw Jeremy looking at the ring, back to where I found it and just kind of shook his head , back and forth. Of course, Jeremy’s smile was still there and so was mine. I love doing this for others and I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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Sterling Silver Stud Earring Lost In The Old Orchard Beach, Maine Sand, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
Contact:

I received the following message, on Sunday at 5:10pm, from Jennifer

‘Friend lost an earring near Wind Song Motel. Could you help?”

I replied, “Hi Jennifer, So sorry to hear this. Did she lose it in the water or up on the beach? Is it a stud earring, hoop or something different?”

Jennifer replied, “On beach. It’s a stud”

Me – “Ok, Studs are difficult to find, as there is so little metal. Does she have the matching earring, so I can calibrate my detector, to get the best program.
Also, does she know the area, where the earring was lost?”

Jennifer – “She does. And we know the area.”

Me – “Ok, I can come now, if that is good for you. Do you have a place for me to park?”

Jennifer replied we could park behind her car, at the Sea Drift Motel. Cheryl and I loaded the equipment and headed to Old Orchard Beach Maine, immediately . Once we arrived, a large group of family and friends were waiting for us and walked us over to where the stud earring was lost. Once Cheryl and I arrived, on the beach, Amanda introduced herself and told us it was her earring, that was lost in the sand. She told me it was a Sterling Silver Stud earring and she then pulled out the matching earring, so I could calibrate my metal detector and everyone in the large group could hear what I would be listening for. Amanda and her family had already arranged some seaweed, in a semi circle and told me they were pretty sure the earring would be within the confines, of the seaweed. I also heard that the earring was a gift, to Amanda, from her husband.
I told the onlookers that I would grid search, inside the seaweed parameter , in a line, parallel to the water and go back and forth. I would search slowly, for such a small earring and I would also not walk on any of the area, unless I had already searched it. I would also be using my most sensitive coil, for such a small target. The coil is an 8 inch elliptical coil and is absolutely fantastic, on small targets.
I made my first grid line pass, to the north and there were no targets, at all. I turned and headed south and completed my second pass, again with no targets, I headed north again and still no targets, at the end of this pass. As I started to turn south, I received a very loud target, reading 68 on my VDI Screen. A nice round, on the centerline, non ferrous target. I was confident that this was the earring. I swung the coil a few times to pinpoint the area. I then reached into the sand a just a few seconds later, I felt the round stud earring and pulled it out of the sand, showing everyone that I had found Amanda’s earring. The group exploded into cheers, hugs and a whole of hooting’ and hollerin’. Hugs were everywhere, along with laughing and of course, the smiles. Without a doubt, this earring of Amanda’s meant so much to her. A a special gift, from her husband, she desperately wanted this back, on her ear and now it is. I don’t think Cheryl and I have ever seen a group of happier people. It felt so great to bring such happiness to everyone there. As we all walked back to The Sea Drift Motel, I could’t tell you how many people thanked Cheryl and I for being so quick to help. We were happy to respond, so quickly. Anytime something is lost on the beach, I immediately start to worry about the beach cleaning rake, in Old Orchard Beach. As soon as I was contacted, I knew I had to get there asap. Thankfully Amanda and her family knew the area it was lost and they marked the area, very well. No need to worry about the beach rake now. We love being able to help others out, like Amanda. It’s the best job, in the world.😃❤️🙏

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Gold And Sapphire Wedding Ring Lost In The Beach Sand, At Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
Contact:

“LOST WEDDING RING: Shot in the dark here but I believe I lost my wedding ring at a local beach this evening. I know I’ve seen posts about folks who look for lost jewelry with a metal detector. If anyone has leads, they’d be appreciated. Many thanks!”

This was a Facebook Post, on a local community page, by Chrissy, on Tuesday evening, August 26th. There were 16 different comments, on her post, to contact me, The Ring Finders of Maine. The referrals are greatly appreciated, thank you all, for your support.

Wednesday morning, Chrissy in fact, did contact me and told me she was really unsure where the ring was lost but thought that Crescent Beach State Park , in the Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine was the most likely place her wedding ring was lost. Other locations included the path between Crescent Beach State Park and Kettle Cove and Kettle Cove Ice Cream. It was now 8:20am and I was tied up until around 10:30am but told Crissy that I would get to Crescent Beach State Park, as soon as my morning commitment was completed, around 10:30am. I then called Gary Hill and asked if he was interested in searching, such a large area. Gary signed up for the search and met me at my house, at 10:30am.
We arrived at CBSP at just after 11:00am and my heart just sank, when I saw the beach. Because of Hurricane Erin’s large waves, over the past 4-5 days, the beach was full of seaweed and I could see where the Beach Rake had gone through the area, that morning, removing seaweed, from the previous high tide. I took a few photos and sent them to Chrissy, to verify we were in the correct area and to let her know the beach had been raked. Her reply was
“Yes, Exactly. Ah, ok. Such a bummer – I wish I could have gotten in earlier this morning. What Timing”
Gary and I were not feeling good about this but we had to search the area anyways. This may have been just been seaweed removal and not an actual rake, in the sand, removing all trash and valuables.
Gary started grid searching, at the entrance path to the beach and I went down to the very thick and heavy seaweed, that had yet to be removed. We decided to extend the grid search area, by about 50’ to the north and south. This is a common practice we use just in case the client was off just a little, in their location. As I was grid searching, I wasn’t getting many targets, at all. A few very deep dimes, in the 7-8 inch deep area, but nothing near the surface and this really concerned me. Did the beach rake get the ring or drag it down the beach? Just had to keep searching. Gary came over and reported the same observation, about no targets. Nothing but a few deep targets and no shallow targets. As Gary and I continued searching the area, we were closing in on each other and the ring still hadn’t been found and I started thinking on how we would search the path to Kettle Cove. Gary and I had only a couple more passes and the area would have been completely searched. All of a sudden, I received that low tone, I had been looking for. Nice and loud, VDI reading of 27 to 29 and only about an inch deep. This was too good to be true and I called Gary over. I told Gary, I was so sure this was the ring that I wanted him to take a video of me recovering the ring. Once I relocated the target, I took my pinpointer out and was brushing the sand, off the top of the target. All of a sudden, I saw a small glimpse of gold. I picked the ring up and looked at Gary, filming, and said “We have a ring. Congratulations Chrissy, we found your ring.”

I then sent the video to Chrissy, saying “Congratulations, We got it” Chrissy replied “Really!!!!!” Before I finished reading her text, my phone was ringing and it was Chrissy. She was extremely excited and was truly in disbelief, as were Gary and I. Chrissy told me she would be there in just 15-20 minutes. As Gary and I were waiting, Chrissy came bouncing across the parking lot, with might be the biggest smile, we’ve ever seen and we’ve seen a lot of smiles. Chrissy was so happy to have her wedding ring back and we were happy she had it. You could just tell how much this ring meant to her. Later in the day, Chrissy sent me the following text messages (Condensed into one message).

“Still buzzing from your ring recovery, Dennis! If you and Gary hadn’t helped so willingly and immediately, my wedding ring might have been found, but it wouldn’t have come back to me. Jon and I got married during the pandemic. We had a beautiful ceremony in New Hampshire, with the backdrop of the mountains, with just our immediate family. It was beautiful but the circumstances were hard. My band is called the “Land and Sea” band by the jewelry maker who made all my rings. The colors of the sapphires represent the colors in nature, on “land and sea”. Hiking in the Catskills, Adirondacks, and then the Whites after we moved to Maine is what brought us joy and reprieve during the pandemic and my wedding band symbolizes that. I’ve worn it summit of Mt. Washington, Katahdin, and countless high peaks across New England and New York. It means so much that you and Gary took the time and care to find it. I am so grateful and so admire you for what you do! “

Chrissy also posted the following, on her original post, looking for help

“The Ring Finders of Maine I cannot stop smiling. I am floored by your generosity of spirit and grateful beyond words! You are truly remarkable humans to do this, Dennis and Gary. 🩵✨”

Well Chrissy , Thank you so much, for your very kind words, Gary and I truly appreciate it. We love being able to help people like Chrissy smile, once again. What she thought was gone forever, is now back on her finger, where it belongs. We have the best job, in the world.😃❤️🙏

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Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Water, Saco River, Brownfield, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
Contact:

I received a Voicemail on Saturday Evening, August 23,

“ Hi, My name is Brendan. I am currently staying on the Saco River, in Brownfield, ME. We lost a wedding ring, in the river today, on or off the beach somewhere. We have done a lot of looking for it, but we weren’t able to find it. I was just inquiring about your availability, rates, all that jazz. We do have to be out of the Airbnb tomorrow, by 11. So it is somewhat of a time thing and I don’t know if you would come and metal detect, at a different time and mail it. Regardless, Please give me a call back. You can reach me at 617-***-****. Again, this is Brendan. Thank you, Take care.”
As soon as I saw his voicemail, I called him back, ,approximately a half hour, after his voicemail was left.. Brendan told me that he and a group of 8 or nine friends had rented a house, on the Saco River, in Brownfield Me. One of the guys, in the group was getting married soon and this was the bachelor weekend. Earlier in the day, a member of the group had lost his wedding ring, while they were all swimming, in the river. They had a very good idea of where it was.and though it would only be in knee to waist deep. But, the sandy area they were swimming, quickly drops off, to much deeper water. I told Brendan that I could certainly search,, up to 5 feet deep but anything deeper than that, I would’t be able to get to. I also told him that I could search, the next day but I was already booked, in Greenwood, Maine and couldn’t guarantee I could get to Brownfield, by 11:00am. If I did arrive, in Brownfield and the group had already checked out, I would need permission, from the owner, of the Maine Airbnb property. I do not go on other peoples property, without permission. We left it at that someone in the group would try contacting the owner, securing permission, for me to access their property and search for the lost wedding ring.
The next morning, Gary and I left at 6:00am, for the nearly 2 hour drive, to Greenwood Maine.and search for a lost gold signet ring. As we were arriving at the camp, in Greenwood, I received a text message, from Brendan

“We are still waiting to hear back from the air bnb host. So unlikely that today will work. If anything changes or they allow access later in the week I’ll be sure to check with your availability.” I replied “Ok, Thanks”

As luck would have it, Gary was able to locate the gold signet ring, in just about 10 minutes. We left Greenwood around 9:00am. As we were driving back home, I received another text, from Brendan, at approximately 9:45am.

“Heads up Dennis. I gave your number to the guy whose ring was lost. Turns out our checkout is 2:00pm he wants to give you a call to check availability”

Before I could reply, I received a call from Jonathon. Jonathon was the one, that had lost his wedding ring, in the river. Jonathon told me if I could make it to Brownfield, by 2:00pm, he would stay behind, and guide me to the location, where the ring was lost. It wasn’t an easy place to find, as it involved driving to a spot, up the road, then walk down a path, in the woods, for approximately a 1/3 to a 1/2 mile, to the sandy beach area, along the river. It was now approaching 10:00am and I needed to see exactly how to get to Brownfield, from where Gary and I were, in the Gray, Maine area. I told Jonathon I would get right back to him and pulled over, on the side road, to look at the map. Once I got the information I was looking for, I called Jonathon back. I told him I could be there in 45 minutes to an hour. Gary and I then took a hard right and we were heading to Brownfield.

Once we arrived, we were met by Jonathon and his friend, Cory. They again mentioned the walk, on the path, through the woods and he and his friend offered to carry anything we needed. I told him we would be fine and then we drove back up the road and stopped at the trailhead. The walk through the woods was much easier than I thought. The path was actually quite large, from all the ATV traffic. After a 10-15 minute walk, down the wooded path, we arrived at the sandy beach area, on the Saco River. Jonathan then showed Gary and I the area that he thought the ring was lost in. The area was very sandy and should not be a problem. I told Gary that I would start out in the water, as far out as I could safely go. I would the grid search, parallel to the shore and work my way, towards shore. Gary would start, at the shore and work his way, towards me and the deeper water. I went out to where the sand ended and the drop off to deeper water started. Hopefully the ring didn’t get thrown out in the deep water. With Gary near the shore, I worked my way west, on my first grid pass. Absolutely no targets at all, just really soft sand. Gary also had no targets, as this area was extremely clean of trash. As I turned and headed east, still no targets. Then, approximately halfway into this grid pass, I received a very loud low tone. I immediately knew this was Jonathan’s wedding ring. Having used an Minelab Excalibur II, since 2006, you just know when you hear gold. I looked up onto the shore, where Jonathon and Cory were talking and Gary was still searching. I hesitated for a moment and wanted to have someone take a video of the recovery but decided not to. I just told everyone that I was pretty sure I had located the ring and that got their attention. I took one scoop of sand and shook it in the water, until the sand was gone. As I was shaking the scoop, we could all hear something clanging around, in the scoop. I was hoping it wasn’t a rock. I brought the scoop up and looked inside. There it was a gold wedding ring. I made a face of disappointment, as I reached into the scoop, so when I pulled the ring out, everyone would be surprised. I grabbed the ring and quickly pulled it out, held it high, for all to see and said, “Congratulations, I got it”. Jonathan and his friend just couldn’t believe it, giving each other high fives and saying something to the effect of this was epic and unbelievable. As I came to shore, I asked Jonathan how long he has been married and he replied, 2 years. I then told him, “Now you can stay married” and handed him his ring back. We were all laughing, smiling, making jokes and it just felt great to see the weight of a lost wedding ring, be lifted, from the shoulders of Jonathan. He kept thanking Gary and I for making the long trip out to Brownfield and recover his wedding ring. Gary and I thanked him for placing his trust, in us, to recover his ring. It’s not something we take lightly and we love helping others, get their sentimental rings back.
As Gary and I were driving back home, we were rehashing the day’s events. By the time we got home, we would have driven 216 miles, been gone for 7 hours, recovered 2 sentimental rings (in just 15-20 minutes of actual search time) and loved every moment of it. The smiles on Joe and Angela’s faces, in Greenwood and the smiles on Jonathan and Cory’s faces, in Brownfield were all we needed, for fuel. We were both riding high, on cloud nine. We love our
jobs.😃❤️🙏

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Large Gold Signet Ring, With Family Crest, Lost In The Gravel Of Greenwood, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
Contact:

I received a phone call from Joe. Joe explained that 4-5 days earlier, he and his wife, Andrea, had returned from a 10 day trip, to Scotland. Upon arriving at Logan Airport, in Boston, Joe and Andrea then drove to their home, in Saco, Maine. Once in Saco, they got in Joe’s truck and drove to Greenwood, Maine. Joe and Andrea own a camp, in Greenwood Maine and while they were in Scotland, their dogs were being watched at the camp. Once they arrived, at their camp, the dogs were extremely excited to see Joe and Andrea. The dogs were jumping up and down on them and running all around them, in the driveway area, of their camp. Once the dogs were in the truck, Joe and Andrea started the long drive back to Saco, Maine. As they were driving home, Joe noticed that his Gold Signet Ring, with the family crest on it, was missing. This wasn’t just any Signet ring, this was a 25th Anniversary Gift, to Joe, from Andrea. Joe and Andrea have now been married for 45 years and Joe has been wearing the ring, for the last 20 years. Joe immediately turned around and drove back to their Greenwood camp. The entire front of the camp, where Joe was greeted by the dogs and was playing with them was searched. The area consisted of a mixture of gravel driveway, some grass, pine needles, etc.. Joe and Andrea could not find the ring. Over the next few days, the search continued but the ring still wasn’t found, in the vehicles, luggage, house, etc.. Joe was 90% sure he had it on, when he arrived at the Greenwood Camp, but not 100%. He contacted Delta Air Lines to report it lost and to see if anyone had turned it in. Delta had not found the ring either. At this point, Andrea suggested to Joe, that he should call TRFOM. Joe had never heard of us and told Andrea the he was doubtful that we would be able to find the ring. Then someone else recommended us told Joe and told Joe to just call us. This is when Joe reached out to me, as a last resort. Joe and I planned to meet Sunday morning, August 24th, at 8:00am, to search his camp property, with our metal detectors. Since I really didn’t have any idea, of how large an area would need to be searched, I asked Gary Hill to accompany me, if available. Gary agreed to ride up to Greenwood, with me and search, for Joe’s extremely sentimental ring.

Gary and I arrived approximately 15 minutes early and Joe and Andrea, a few moments later. As we were making small talk, Andrea asked if I had graduated from Thornton Academy, in 1974. Why yes I did! Andrea then told me she graduated, from Thornton Academy, in 1976, the same year as my sister. Well, what a small world.
Joe showed us the area that he had been in, a week ago now, when he thinks he lost the ring. It was basically the entire front of the property and as I looked it over, I thought Gary and I could cover the entire area,in approximately an hour. Gary would start grid searching the right side of the property, as you faced the building and I would start on the left side, working our way, towards each other. Joe was walking the area, with his eyes peeled, to the ground. I could see, on Joe’s face, just how badly, he wanted his Family Crest Signet Ring back. My first grid pass, from the road area, to the corner of the house, resulted in just a few pieces of trash. Gary was finding a few pieces of trash also. As I turned around and started searching, back up to the road, I realized I had forgotten my pinpointer, in the car. When I reached the end of my grid line and went up to my car, to get my pinpointer. As I was at the car, I hear Gary say, “Dennis, I got it. I found it”. I looked over and Gary was bent over, look at something. Joe was in the house, at this point but Angela immediately let him know and when Joe came out of the camp, he was stunned but was smiling like he just won Powerball. As I made my way to Gary, Gary was still looking at the ring and when I arrived, I could see just a small area of the ring. Gary told all of us that he heard the detector go off and when he looked down, he could see just a small piece of the band. Joe arrived and he couldn’t believe that much of the ring was buried, in the hard gravel driveway. Gary and I believe that the ring most likely was knocked off, by the dogs, after jumping, on Joe. The dogs, or Joe then moved some of the loose gravel, up and over the ring, partially obscuring it, just enough so that no one could see it. For the last week, the ring just sat there, blending in with the gravel, sand and dirt. Joe was just overjoyed to get his very sentimental ring back, a ring that his wife Andrea had custom made for him, 25 years ago. After a round of handshakes, hugs, fist pumping and of course, smiles, Gary and I congratulated Joe and Andrea one last time. As we drove off I tooted the horn and we could see Joe looking at his ring, back on his finger, just smiling ear to ear. It’s such a great feeling to be able to help others, when they need our services and I don’t think we will ever get old of that feeling. We love our jobs😃❤️🙏

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