For a number of months I have been hunting a local athletic complex for a lost Cub Scout ring to no avail. The young man who lost it received it from his father who had received it from his father. I have hunted the area at least 20 times but am still hoping I can put this treasured inheritance back into his hand.
This story has a much happier ending. And took much much less time.
Recently went to Panama City Florida and stayed at an ocean front condo. As soon as we unpacked I grabbed my X-TERRA 705 and hit the beach. After harvesting a number of Florida Beach Quarters (bottle caps) and a few coins I was heading back into the building when a small group of Hispanics approached me and asked if I could help them find a ring. They were going through garbage cans and kicking sand and it was obvious that panic was setting in. Luckily they had a fairly good idea where the ring might be. I started swinging and found a couple of more bottle caps. I quickly covered their assumed area with no luck and then stepped around a line of beach chairs and almost immediately hit a target. I told the group to cross their fingers as my scoop dug into the sand. Two shakes of the scoop and I was staring at the largest and most beautiful ring I had ever seen. It was 18K with four large beautiful diamonds spaced across the face. They started whooping and dancing and all of them started hugging me.
Turned out to be a wedding party celebrating the wedding of two of the group’s nuptials the day before and it was the groom's ring which had been his grandfather's wedding band. They later admitted the ring had a value approaching $10,000.
Still it was great to finally find someone's treasure and to successfully return it to them. Yesterday I was again looking for that Cub Scout ring. I hope to return it too soon.
Chip – Florida, USA