Engagement and Wedding Rings Recovered
It was a beautiful day at Gulf Shores. The family was visiting from Indiana, it was like a reunion. Their first day at the beach. Everything was going great when Lisa chased a little one before he got in water. She was wearing a top with her rings safely tucked away in a pocket that may not have been closed correctly. As she ran to the child, she took off the top and threw it towards her chair and towel. It was much later that she discovered her rings were missing. They called me for some help. I met them at their condo late that afternoon. Her husband Jason, had a fellow with a detector look for it earlier with no luck. Jason tested the detector on a gold chain and it wasn’t able to find it. So, when I got there the first thing Jason asked was will it find gold. He then tossed his gold chain in the sand for a test. Naturally my detector screamed at the chain. I explained that my detector was a state of the art machine and as far as I’m concerned the best on the market. Jason and Lisa pointed out the area they had been and weren’t sure if it was lost on the sand from the discarded top, the water or maybe some place else. Fortunately the tossed top seemed to be the logical place to start. From that point it didn’t take long to recover Lisa’s rings. Jason and Lisa couldn’t believe I was able to find it, commenting a needle in a hay stack. I could feel the tension unwind with family members now that the emergency was over. Everyone’s happy, vacation’s back on. Seeing the situation whole again is the best part being a Ring Finder.
I was really happy to help this young man out. He called me and asked if I would find his ring. He wasn’t able to meet me because he was tied up at work but said he had read some of Pensacola Ring Finders past stories and was confident I would recover it. Further he said his ring was a Texas A&M Graduation Ring, which is a really big deal to anyone who knows any of their Grads will tell you. It was a must find situation, no pressure right. Fortunately this fellow gave me directions that lead exactly to the spot on the beach where He lost it. The ring recovered and a happy young man no longer worried about this representation of his achievement! Go Aggies!
On the last day of their vacation at Pensacola beach, Phil and his wife decided to visit a less travelled beach late in the afternoon. They were due back home in Fort Worth the next day and had to leave soon. I always try to provide service to accommodate and agreed to meet him in an hour to find his lost ring. I finished up what I was doing, jumped in the van (that fortunately had my detecting equipment already in it ready to go) and headed out. We met up a 6pm, got to the spot he lost the ring by 6:30 and started searching. I searched for about 30 minutes I got the signals that were unmistakeable a gold ring. Needless to say, they were relieved. The travel home plan was kept in tack and the lost ring worries were no more. Everyone was happy! The satisfaction I get helping people like Phil is why I do this! 
Dave, my Son-In-Law got a call Tuesday morning from Gina asking could he please help her find her Father’s ring in the Gulf of Mexico. David had to work that day so he asked me to help Gina. Her Father had since passed away and she was overwrought emotionally and ardently sentimental about the loss of his heirloom. To Gina the ring is a significant and permanent connection spirituality with her Father that was on her finger everyday and just had to be reclaimed. The ring was lost in about waist deep water at low tide but the horizontal plain was quiet large, perhaps 300 to 400 feet. Another factor revolved around the weather forecast. A tropical system was forecast to arrive that evening with large surf and gale force winds. If the ring wasn’t recovered before the weather arrived the probability of recovery would be significantly diminished. The beach she visited is part of the Gulf Islands Seashore and Park Management does not allow metal detection in the Park without a Special Permit. I have performed several recoveries of property for Gulf Islands Guests in the pass and contacted Park Staff for a permit only to learn that everyone was gone this day. The Park had an All-Hands-On-Deck wildfire in progress and I couldn’t get in touch with anyone. After several hours I did get in touch with a staff member who said to send an email requesting a permit and (in not so many words) that should cover my back. Because lots of time had passed in travel and permit issue and with weather issues on the horizon and most importantly, because Gina put her trust in me and I couldn’t fathom disappointing her, I arrived on the beach in early afternoon and Gina was their waiting on me. The search took about 4 hours before I heard the unmistakable vivacious, exuberant, resonance of gold. I immediately broke into a wide grin that got Gina’s attention. I exited the water and returned her ring to her hand and she put it back on the finger where it belongs. Both David and I are more that happy that we were able to made things right for Gina that day! 
I got called Saturday morning from John asking if I could help in finding his wedding band. He thought it was lost in a rather small area on the sandy beach, which he was standing guard over so no one would disturb the sand causing it go deeper. Both he and his wife were most concerned something would happen and his ring would be lost forever and could I come right away. I arrived about 45 minutes later and got to know John as we searched the area he thought contained his ring. John is from Mississippi and loves the outdoors and hadn’t been married that long. But this day he wasn’t happy, having lost his ring. He claimed I needed to find the ring to save his marriage, I’m sure just hyperbole. He had consulted with his friends back home about how to proceed, thought about buying a metal detector but someone had hear of us and recommended Pensacola Ring Finders as a more economical route. We couldn’t find it in the logical area so after brainstorming his activity determined when he moved a cooler the ring may have been sent sailing in a south easterly direction. So I searched that area and kept expanding and indeed found this ring in the steep slope leading to the water. It was found probably 40 feet from were he moved the cooler. Needless to say he was happy and impressed that I could find such a small item in such a large area. He said he was going to get a detector when he got home to do some detecting in Mississippi around where he lives. I said if he needed partners to hunt with we would be happy to assist! 
I met Jeff and Mandi at Orange Beach Alabama where they were enjoying a week of rest and relaxation at the beach when Jeff lost his wedding ring. This ring held unfathomable sentimental significance that culmination in a romance that spanned more that 30 years. The story began when Jeff and Mandi met at the University of Southern Alabama. They became very close while in College and frequented the area attractions including the beaches. Their favorite spot was Fairhope and more specifically the Fairhope Pier that over looked Mobile Bay. Some time near graduation they were visiting the Pier and Jeff proposed presenting an engagement ring, Mandi accepted! But it was not to be, much later Mandi returned the engagement ring and they went in different directions. But they stayed friends and because of the family connections stayed in touch. Twenty five years later, the romance rekindled. They were living in different states and developed a long distance relationship. After several years, they were vacationing near the beaches and Fairhope, which Mandi says is her “Happy Place”, and they decide to visit the pier. Once again Jeff proposed and gave her the same engagement ring from 30 years before! This time she accepted forever! Unbeknownst, their families got wind of the proposal and brought the party with them, to the pier! They were finally married after about 30 years, which brings us to the present when I recovered Jeff’s wedding band. In the picture above you can see the engraving inside the band. The entire engraving reads. At Last Love Mandi. Mandi showed me the ring that was given to her thirty years earlier and again four years ago. The day I recovered Jeff’s ring the surf was quite rough several waves broke over my head, but Jeff’s ring was found in about 3 minutes. I went right to it. I can’t help but think that I was meant to find it and return it to this super couple as testament to their faith, perseverance and love! 
Ian lost his ring while swimming at Orange Beach Alabama. His wife’s family is from Canada and were vacationing in Orange Beach and invited Ian and their Daughter to joint them. Ian is British and he and his wife live in England. He wasn’t exactly sure were in the water is was lost but had a general area. I started the search and Ian joined me and we talked as I was searching. He’s a very interesting guy, he lives along the southern coast of England and works as a Port Pilot! The lost ring was his original wedding ring and he really wanted it back because that he one his wife gave him when they made the promise. His father in law waited on the beach while we searched, I learned lots about piloting ships, very interesting! It took about an hour to find his ring. He was most grateful. Back on the beach he immediately called his wife that her gift to him was safe and sound back on his finger. Ian and his father in law were really nice folks, I’m happy I met them and could help. 
Macain and his extended family where celebrating his Grandmothers 80th birthday. While enjoying the water his wedding ring dropped off his finger. He, his wife and brothers searched as best they could with snorkel gear and feeling the sandy bottom with hands and feet with no success. They texted Pensacola Ring Finders facebook page and I responded back that I would be happy to help. When I arrived everyone was having a grand time, kids running around and family and friends enjoying Grandmother birthday. I got to meet Granny and wished her a wonderful birthday. She was in great health and I enjoyed our conversation. Macain’s ring was lost in shallow water between two docks and didn’t take long to find, about 45 minutes. Macain and his wife are newly weds so the recovery of the ring meant a bunch to them. When I found it I held it up in the air to show them, they immediately stood and rushed to the dock. The news of Macain’s found ring rapidly moved amount the family and friends. Very exciting! On my way to leave, the family Matriarch, Granny, came up and thanked me, that meant a lot to me.