Paul Humphreys, Author at The Ring Finders

Wedding Ring Lost Playing Beach Volleyball! – Bradford Beach, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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It was an exceptionally warm and humid evening, July 23rd. Having recently moved to Milwaukee, Kevin and Sarah Nguyen were enjoying beach volleyball with friends at Bradford Beach Park on the shores of Lake Michigan. But while reaching for a low ball, Kevin felt his gold wedding ring fly off his hand. The ring vanished in the loose sand.

Despite their best search efforts and those of fellow ball players, the ring’s hiding place eluded everyone. Someone suggested renting or purchasing a metal detector. Unfortunately, it was getting late; the stores were closing. While looking on the internet, Sarah stumbled on Dan Roekle, a seasoned metal-detecting colleague in Madison, Wisconsin. Dan referred Sarah to me since I lived closer to Milwaukee. Subsequently, Dan alerted me to Nguyen’s situation.

I was contemplating heading to bed when my phone rang. It was Kevin. From experience I knew the Bradford Beach volleyball courts were searched regularly by detectorists in the area. Since time was of the essence, I arranged to meet on location that same night.

When I stepped out of my airconditioned car, my glasses immediately fogged up from the warm, 70-degree-plus relative humidity. The conditions reminded me of the year I spent living on the tropical island of Kalimantan in Indonesia. Gathering my equipment, I made my way to the volleyball area and soon spotted the beam of Kevin’s flashlight in the darkness.

Kevin showed me where he was when the ring left his hand. I could see evidence of digging in the sand where he and friends had been trying to find the ring. As it turned out the ring had flown farther than anyone thought.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long to locate Kevin’s ring, only a few minutes in fact. Its hiding place was no match for state-of-the-art metal detection equipment and 40-plus years’ experience. The smiles on Sarah and Kevin’s faces tell the rest of this happy story.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even long ago, contact a member of The Ring Finders in your area. Don’t let its story end; it’s more than a ring! Who knows, we just might be able to put a smile on your face!

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50th Anniversary Ring Found! – Lake Butte des Morts, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Eight years ago, Oshkosh, Wisconsin residents Dick and Judy Berger, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They marked the occasion by acquiring matching, white-gold wedding rings, paved with 5 diamonds, one for each decade together. But on July 16th, 2025, Dick’s ring slipped off his hand while swimming in Lake Butte des Morts, behind their picturesque lakefront home. He didn’t realize it was missing until he climbed out of the water.

Despite the search efforts of friends and family, the ring could not be found. That’s when the Berger’s daughter located me on The Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists.

I received a call from Dick the following Monday and made arrangements to meet him on location that same afternoon. It was an hour and half drive from my home in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Dick was keen to accompany me in the waist-deep water. He assisted by repositioning my specially-designed marker buoys as I searched. These served as vital reference points for an accurate grid search of the lake bottom.

The search was made even more challenging by the presence of aquatic plants. These wrapped themselves around the detector’s search coil, impeding my ability to sweep consistently. I had to stop often to remove the plants from my coil.

Almost immediately a non-ferrous (other than iron) signal invited further investigation. To my surprise, the target was another gentleman’s wedding ring, one made of rose gold. Clearly, it was not the ring we were searching for. Dick’s ring was white-gold. Someone else had recently lost their wedding ring just off the Berger’s boat dock. The ring’s owner remains a mystery. I left it with the Berger family in hopes they might locate the person who lost it.

About 45 minutes later, not far from a swimming raft anchored off shore, I heard another promising signal. The conductivity numbers on my XP Deus ll controller, along with the audible tone, made me believe the target had to be Dick’s ring. Indeed, Dick’s ring soon lay gleaming in my scoop! And the contented smiles on Dick and Judy’s faces tell the rest of the story.

Dick and Judy, may you enjoy many, many more years together there in your beautiful Oshkosh home!

If you or someone you know has lost a jewelry item in water or on land, even long ago, chances are it can still be found. Give me a call. I would love to add your smile to our book of smiles.

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Lost Tungsten Wedding Ring Found – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Unbeknown to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin resident, Doug Krupp, his tungsten wedding ring was lost while enjoying a game of water football with friends at Elkhart Lake Fireman’s Park. Doug later discovered the loss and subsequently contacted me through The Ring Finder’s international directory of metal detecting specialists. I made the 72-mile journey from my home in Waukesha and arrived at the park late in the afternoon of what was a very hot, humid day. The beach was crowded with people cooling off in the pristine lake water.

Doug sent me a satellite image of the swimming area, marking the general area where he had been. A grid search was challenging. This was because of the many people enjoying the cool water in the hot afternoon. Children, as usual, were inquisitive about what I was doing. They gathered close around me and dove with their goggles to inspect my search coil with their little fingers, thus hampering my ability to sweep the lake bottom accurately. Finally, curiosity satisfied; the little ones eventually redirected their interests elsewhere and I was able to continue a straight course. Shoreline structures served as guides.

An assortment of signals announced the presence of the usual coins and pull tabs. Finally, about an hour and half into the search, the unmistakable conductivity values for tungsten invited further investigation. A few moments later, Doug’s wedding ring lay nestled amongst the sand and clay in my scoop.

I took a couple photos and texted them to Doug saying, “I’m thinking this is your ring.” He replied with an emphatic, “Yes!!!!!!!”

We later met up at a service station near Fond du Lac. Doug and his wife Amy were so thrilled to take possession of what they thought was possibly lost forever. The smiles on their faces tell the rest of the story.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, don’t let its story end! Even if it was lost a long time ago, chances are the ring may yet be found. Contact a member of The Ring Finders near you.

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Wedding Rings Found! – Big Cedar Lake, West Bend, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Big Cedar Lake, near West Bend, Wisconsin, covers 937 acres. By comparison Graftton, Wisconsin, resident Danielle Danbrea’s wedding rings, soldered together, covered less than a square inch. The prospects of finding her ring in such a large body of water were daunting.

Danielle and her husband, Ryan, were celebrating the 4th of July with friends on the lake while anchored at a popular sand bar. That’s when the unthinkable happened! Unbeknown to her, Danielle’s rings quietly slipped of her hand into the murky water.

The following day, Saturday, I received a text message from Ryan advising of the unfortunate circumstances. Could I help?

As it turned out, the weather turned to rain and overcast skies on Sunday. This meant fewer boats and swimmers in the area, ideal for setting out buoy markers and conducting a grid search. After a 45-minute drive, I arrived at the lake and hiked a third of a mile through the woods to the shore pulling a large wagonload of equipment. Armed with photos taken from the boat on the day Danielle’s rings went missing, I was able to position my buoy markers close to where they had been anchored.

Using a large XP Deus search coil, I systematically scanned the lake bottom for the next three hours. The usual pull tabs, bottle caps and shotgun-shell casings (leftovers from duck hunters) filled my pouch. By this time, I was outside the search zone. Returning to the start point, I began searching in the opposite direction when a promising signal invited investigation. Sure enough, Danielle’s beautiful rings soon lay gleaming in my scoop!

Despite the many challenges of finding a small ring in such a large lake and under these circumstances, the obstacles were no match for state-of-the-art metal-detecting technology, forensics and experience. If you or someone you know has lost ring, don’t let its story end. Contact me. Who knows, we just might be able to put a smile on someone else’s face.

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Lost Engagement Ring Found in Sand on Lake Michigan Beach – Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Sheboygan resident, Allison Preetham, was playing ball with her husband and friends at the beach when her engagement ring was knocked off her hand. It was June 5th. They searched through the sand frantically. The sun was setting and with darkness closing in, Allison reached out to me for help. We agreed to meet on location first thing the next morning.

When I arrived, I was greeted by Allison, her husband, Preetham and a couple good friends. I was led to the area where they had played the previous evening. I saw signs of digging and hoped it was not another metal detectorist. It turned to be the holes dug by Allison and her friends the night before. A simple grid search turned up Allison’s ring, not far from where they had played. The smile on the couple’s faces is evidence of yet another very happy reunion.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, don’t hesitate to contact a member of The Ring Finders in your area. I know they would love to put a smile on your face.

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Ring missing for 6-months found! – Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin resident, Narciso was visiting with his girlfriend back in October 2024. When she stepped out for a walk with the dog it suddenly pulled on the leash and dislodged her precious ring in the grass. The couple looked and looked but the ring was nowhere to be seen. The weeks turned into months. Narciso even purchased a metal detector. Unfortunately, the area was loaded with metallic objects and leftover construction debris. It was now the end of April, 2025. Was the ring still there? Had a crow taken off with it? The couple had just about given up ever seeing it again. That’s when he found me on The Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists and reached out.

I arrived early in the morning of April 26. Narciso led me to the area by the house where the ring had disappeared. I saw evidence of digging and of grass mashed down, evidence of Narciso’s search efforts. He explained how the machine he purchased made so much noise, he was not able to make sense of it. Perhaps I could ferret out the ring from all the din.

It didn’t take long to isolate the probable location. Amongst the cacophony of sounds and signals emitted by my detector, one signal in particular stood out. The conductivity numbers indicated a target in the deep grass that was consistent with a small gold ring. Having caught a glimpse of gold, I gave a pinpointing device to Narciso and let him enjoy the discovery and retrieval for himself. His smile tells the rest of the story.

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69-year-old wedding ring lost and found – Lake Mills, Wisconsin.

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Johnson Creek, Wisconsin residents, Lyle (Spike) and Bonnie Klockow, celebrated their 69th anniversary with their family on Monday, June 23rd. Returning from a boating excursion on Rock Lake the following morning, Lyle wrung rainwater out of some rags over the side of the boat. That’s when his precious wedding ring slipped off his hand and disappeared in the dark water. Recent weight loss caused Lyle’s ring to fit more loosely than normal. On his hand for nearly seven decades, the ring was now gone. The loss left Lyle feeling horribly disappointed. For sixty-nine years, the ring had served as tangible evidence of his marriage to Bonnie. The memories were innumerable.
I received a phone call from Terrie, Lyle’s daughter and made arrangements to meet up with the family at her aunt’s lakeside home. Monte, Terrie’s brother, led the way to the boat dock. Lyle arrived soon afterward and confirmed the approximate location where the ring had come off his hand.

The presence of metallic objects in the silt set my detector off with a staccato of signals. Armed with a description of the ring I was able to ignore many of these objects and hone in on those with promising conductivity numbers, those consistent with gold. An ancient brass shotgun shell was excavated, evidence of bygone duck-hunting escapades. Then, not far from where Lyle believed the ring left his hand, a solid ‘70’ on my controller indicated the presence of a target consistent with a white-gold ring. Sorting through the mud, stones and sticks in my scoop, Lyle’s ring appeared at last!

Bonnie, who was sitting with the rest of the family on their back deck, was curious about all the activity down by the dock. Who was the strange man and what was he doing wading in the water? Lyle had not told her about his missing wedding ring. He didn’t want to upset her. This made the reveal all the more fun. And the beautiful smiles on the couple’s faces tell the rest of the story.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring or precious jewelry item, don’t let its story end. With over forty years of metal-detecting experience, chances are we can add your smile to the growing list of happy clients. Long lost or recent, on land or in water, call today!

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Lost Cobalt Wedding Ring Found – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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It was the day before Valentines. A Wisconsin snowstorm found Milwaukee resident Tim Sobie, blowing snow from his driveway and sidewalk. That was when his unique cobalt wedding ring went missing. Despite his best search efforts Tim was forced to wait until the snow had thawed before resuming his search. Despite his best efforts, however, the ring was nowhere to be seen.

Three weeks later, on March 6th, I received a text message from Tim asking if I might assist. It was a long shot. A public sidewalk presented the troubling thought that a passerby may have found it already. But I could at least search the lawn and driveway areas just in case.

We met the next afternoon. Once on location and while reviewing Tim’s timeline of activities, Tim recalled his snowblower hitting a twig or something in front of his home. It was a logical place to begin searching. Using a sample cobalt ring, I was able to accurately calibrate my XP Deus 2 detector. The cobalt rang up in the high 50’s on the conductivity scale. Armed with this information I began searching the area where Tim had heard the mysterious twig sound.

Just a few swings into the search a clean, high 50’s-signal begged further investigation. Buried under some leaves and grass, Tim’s precious wedding ring appeared. And the smile on Tim’s face tells the rest of the story.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even long ago, chances are it might still be found. Don’t let the story of the ring end. Call today.

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Wedding Ring Found! A Cornfield Search – West Bend, WI.

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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November 12 marked a day of profound sadness for West Bend resident, Michael Schultz. His loose-fitting wedding ring came up missing after a day’s activities. He had done chores on their country horse farm, spent time sighting in hunting rifles in anticipation of the upcoming deer season and then made a trip to town. A recently harvested cornfield served as a 100-yard shooting range. Later, as he stood in line at a grocery store, Michael noticed, to his horror, his wedding ring was missing from his hand!

Michael had recently lost weight which resulted in his ring fitting loosely. He remembered thinking that very morning how it might be best to store the ring away until it could be resized. Now, he regretted not heeding the thought. He was truly grieving his loss and all the precious memories the ring held.

Michael’s wife, Nikki, reached out to me several days later. After speaking with her on the phone, I concluded the ring could be anywhere. The most likely place to search seemed to be the cornfield where Michael had taken his gloves off and on as he sighted in his rifles. But the area was similar in size to a football field. No matter, it would be a process of elimination.

I arrived early afternoon on November 22, 10 days after the ring went missing. The remains of corn stalks made the search challenging, hampering the swinging of my search coil. After 3-hours of searching, it was pitch black. I still had about another hour of searching left when a signal caught my attention. Beneath a muddy corn leaf, Michael’s gold and diamond ring appeared with the help of a flashlight!

Michael and his family were overwhelmed at the sight of the ring! Hugs and tears of joy ensued.

This was yet another amazing find in what was, by all accounts, a long-shot search. However, the ring’s hiding place was no match for modern technology and perseverance even in a vast cornfield in the black of night.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, don’t let its story end. Contact a member of the Ring Finders today.

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Football Coach’s Wedding Ring Found! – Pewaukee, WI

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Hamilton High School football coach and Wauwatosa resident, Josh Neary, was moving training equipment off the field when he felt his tungsten wedding ring catch and fly off his hand. Despite his search efforts and those of several others, the ring was nowhere to be found. The loss was made all the more acute with Josh’s plans to celebrate his and his wife’s second anniversary the next day.

Josh found me on the Ring Finder’s internet directory of metal-detecting specialists. My wife and I were travelling in the Canadian Rocky Mountains when I received his text. After arriving home in Wisconsin, we arranged to meet at the Hamilto High School on Friday, September 27, four days after the ring went missing.

A systematic grid-search revealed the presence of many metallic objects. Thankfully, I had a sample tungsten ring for calibration purposes. This helped to ignore most of the signals. After, covering the most likely area without success, it was decided to expand the search grid. Soon, a shallow signal was promising. Using a pin-pointer, Josh’s wedding ring came to the light of day in the deep grass where it had fallen.

I left the ring in its place and called Josh to come and look with me. Handing him the pin-pointer I explained how it worked and then let Josh ‘discover’ the ring himself. It didn’t take long. Josh pulled the ring from the grass and held it in astonished unbelief. The smile on his face tells the rest of the story!

It seems the whole school was aware of Josh’s lost ring. Students and staff alike expressed their well wishes and joy. It was obvious to me that Coach Neary holds a special place in the hearts and lives of many at Hamilton High School. I’m so glad to have had a part in your story, Josh.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even long ago, don’t let its story end. Call today. Who knows, we might just be able to put a smile on someone else’s face.

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