Requests to find lost objects

[scrubber]

I've been wondering how many of us have had people ask us to find things they've lost. Here's my own example:

I was MDing a local salt-water beach when a high-school age couple approached me looking very worried. They said they had lost their car key and wondered if I could find it. I asked if they knew approximately where they lost it. They showed me an area about 15 by 15 feet. I scratched parallel lines in the sand for reference and began in one corner. On only my second swing of the detector, I got a strong beep. I thrust one hand in the sand, pulled out a car key and said, "Is this it?" They were dumbfounded, relieved -- and very very happy.

My guess is that they found the parents' spare key and "borrowed" their car for an outing at the beach, since it was a single key and they acted as though their lives had just been saved. My only comment as they left was, "So this metal-detecting hobby isn't as stupid as people think, is it?" They said, "No, no -- it's great!" That made my day. 

scrubber

 

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[jb7487]

Awesome! Thanks for making us all look good. Lord knows we can use all the help we can get. That story actually brought a tear to my eye.

Not to sidetrack the discussion but a similar non-MD related thing happened to me this week. My daughter and I were walking into a restaurant this week when she said "Daddy, there is a $20 bill on the ground!". It was pouring down rain and the bill was soaked so I picked it up and just held it in my hand. I had no idea how I was going to get it back to the rightful owner as holding up a $20 bill in a restaurant and asking "did someone lose this" isn't going to be very productive. As we were ordering the lady next to me said to her husband "honey, did you give me that $20 bill?". He replied "yes, I put it on your purse". I turned to her and said "here it is, we found it on the ground outside". She just stood there dumbfounded looking at me in disbelief. The husband thanked us for being so honest. My daughter was so proud she hasn't stopped telling the story all week. It just amazes me that people are so taken aback when someone is honest. What does that say about our world?

You did a good deed. You have every right to feel great about it. Let's hope some good karma comes from it and you find the car that key goes to burried in the sand!

 

[ldablo]

Man, these are make your day kinda posts.

Good karma is very good.

LD

 

[Dirty WhiteBoy]

Scrubber: Thank you for asking!! Great topic! Here's my Christmas story!

I was in my favorite park and a man approached me and told me his wife had dropped 2 of his rings in their yard while doing yard work more than two years ago. He showed me one of them they found that day but he could not find his Captain's ring his wife had specially made for him. He told me the ring is very sentimental to him and asked me to come over to his house and sweep his yard to see if I could find it. He said that they both had the same ring made together and his wife has just been ill since she lost it. He went on to explain that he actually went and rented a metal detector and attempted to find it but he could not make it work properly and could not find the ring. He said he tried throwing coins on the ground and sometimes it would pick them up and sometimes it would not so he just did not really know how to use the detector he rented or it was malfunctioning. Being the confident treasure hunter I am I told him I would be glad to try to help. I took his # and called him the next morning. I drove to his home in Palm Harbor, Florida and introduced myself to his wife. She was glad to see me and took me to the backyard. I asked her where exactly did they find the first ring and she showed me the spot where they did find and retrieve the first gold ring. Then she showed me her ring that was just like his Captain's ring only smaller for her. I knew to begin my hunt right where they had found the first ring.

I start the hunt.....First thing I dug was and old hinge....second thing I dug was a huge nail....I had my detector on prospect so as not to miss the ring. I got another solid beep a 55 VDI on my DFX. I dug and BOOM! I got it! A huge 14k gold mens Captain's ring! I could feel it in my fingers! 3 inches under the very thick sod in their yard. Probably the biggest gold ring in content that I have ever seen in my life...the thing was huge! I ran to her door and banged loud!!! I held it up and screamed "I got it! I got it!" She ran to and opened the door and screamed " Oh my god" and grabbed me and hugged me. She was completely in tears and immediatley called her husband and said "I got a ring!" She put me on the phone with her husband who was in disbelief. I told him..."We got it!" he just thanked me over and over again. It was just a few days before Christmas so The joy that returning this ring to them brought to me was unreal. This happened within 3 months of getting my DFX. This is the greatest thing that I have done with my detector since I bought it in September! That ring was the nicest ring I have ever found! It was a monster! The woman offered me $100.00. I refused. She insisted. I refused. She insisted. I refused and told them I'm glad I could make their Christmas a little better for them! Again she insisted that I take the money and she literally shoved it in my pocket. Well, Ok! Since I'm not working I could use the extra cash so I gave in to a battle that I wasn't going to win anyway! $100.00 for literally 10 minutes of searching in her yard for the ring! COOL!

I know in my own mind that SOME other detectorists would have kept that ring. They picked the right guy when they asked me to find it for them. Let me tell you the Christmas joy I had when that lady was crying in my arms over finding it! The man offered me $50.00 to go sweep the yard for it and he told me he would give me another $50.00 if I found it. I told him I would be happy to help and no need to pay me. Well they wouldn't have that so I drove away elated and empowered by finding and returning that very sentimental piece of jewelery to the Captain and his wife. Plus I had another $100.00 in my pocket for Christmas!!

One of the nicest finds yet is not in my collection, but is in my heart and theirs forever....

 

[pookie-princess of rust]

similar thing happened to my mom and i recently...

Awesome! Thanks for making us all look good. Lord knows we can use all the help we can get. That story actually brought a tear to my eye.

Not to sidetrack the discussion but a similar non-MD related thing happened to me this week. My daughter and I were walking into a restaurant this week when she said "Daddy, there is a $20 bill on the ground!". It was pouring down rain and the bill was soaked so I picked it up and just held it in my hand. I had no idea how I was going to get it back to the rightful owner as holding up a $20 bill in a restaurant and asking "did someone lose this" isn't going to be very productive. As we were ordering the lady next to me said to her husband "honey, did you give me that $20 bill?". He replied "yes, I put it on your purse". I turned to her and said "here it is, we found it on the ground outside". She just stood there dumbfounded looking at me in disbelief. The husband thanked us for being so honest. My daughter was so proud she hasn't stopped telling the story all week. It just amazes me that people are so taken aback when someone is honest. What does that say about our world?

You did a good deed. You have every right to feel great about it. Let's hope some good karma comes from it and you find the car that key goes to burried in the sand!