The perfect storm

gxray

Sr. Member
Jan 30, 2009
323
18
The perfect storm (pics added)

I visited one of my favorite NC beaches this weekend. Sunday morning I hunted the beach for a couple of hours and found about five dollars in clad and a nice ladies Brighton watch in perfect working condition. It was about 5 inches deep in the sand. I wandered over to the pier to get some shade and take a break when a young boy about 8 or 9 yes old approached me and asked me what I had found. I told him I found some coins and a watch. His father? , sitting in a nearby beach chair, told me that a woman had lost her watch last weekend in the area I found the watch. Apparently she was distraught and in tears over losing this watch because it was given to her by her recently deceased father. She had many ppl looking for it well into the night and in the rain. To no avail.
The man pointed to a woman sitting on her deck at a beachside residence and said "that is the woman's mother". We walked up to her house and told her that I had found a watch and it might be her daughter's. She got her daughter on the phone and handed me the phone. Her daughter described the watch to a T. I told her I had it and she came over within 5 minutes. She was ecstatic to get that watch because it had so much sentimental value. I was so happy to have found it and return it to her.
She had put the watch in the cup holder of her beach chair. Unbeknownst to her husband, he spilled it into the sand while retrieving their stuff.
She offered me a cash reward, I politely refused, she insisted, I declined so she stuck it in my pocket and that was that!
It took a perfect storm of events for me to have found the watch and returned it all in a matter of about 2 hours. (the boy approaching and asking, the man overhearing,etc). Often times in this hobby it pays to stop and talk and listen to ppl.
I went back to the beach that evening and a torrential thunderstorm swept over the beach with a quickness. People were scrambling to vacate the beach. Beach hunters love when this happens.(things get lost,dropped,scattered about,etc)
After the storm passed, I went out on the beach. Within 5 minutes I found an Apple I-phone just under the sand. Had a 70 0/0 charge and worked perfectly. I called one of the contacts on the missed calls and left a message with "dad" saying that I had found this phone and to pls return my call. Within minutes I got a call from the owner of the phone. He came and got the phone within 30 mins.
I hit the beach again this morning and only found 2 quarters,2dimes and a couple of crusty zincolns.....maybe the gold will be next time.
I'll try to upload pics as soon as I figure out how to do it on an iPad. I'll add a few more pics when i rec'v them from the woman who owns the watch.
Thanx for looking and HH y'all iphone.jpg holly.jpg
 

Last edited:
Upvote 6

csachipper

Jr. Member
Apr 9, 2009
43
26
Kenansville NC
Detector(s) used
T2 / Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Good find and story my friend. Me and my son went to Morehead week before last, and we found a class ring in the third hole we dug. We have made contact with the owner and waiting for a word from him. Last week, we went to topsail and found a ring and a woman came out from a cottage and asked if we had found a ring. She described it to a tee. She said that they had borrowed a detector and spent several hours trying to find it. We gave it back. We are going back to topsail after the 4th and try again. I really believe that what comes around, goes around. Maybe you'll find another block "R" this winter.
 

Big H

Greenie
Apr 25, 2012
19
2
Long Island
Detector(s) used
Viper Trident
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Great story!! I'm glad there's still selfless people in this world!
 

RiverRat3

Bronze Member
Apr 1, 2009
1,360
419
Maryland
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX3030
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Great story. Reflects positively on our detector hobby. I'm sure you will be rewarded with a great find in the near future.
 

Bushido Dude

Sr. Member
Dec 20, 2005
304
16
Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That deserves an atta boy! kudos for helping with the positive image we like to keep. Also, sorry the beach detecting hasn't been great here on the beaches of NC....im sticking with the old swimming holes in the sound until the winter storms come here on the outer banks. Good luck in the future and happy hunting.
 

Papa Bear

Bronze Member
Dec 30, 2011
1,153
485
Western Territories
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Teknetics G2, Garrett ProPointer
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Good find and story my friend. Me and my son went to Morehead week before last, and we found a class ring in the third hole we dug. We have made contact with the owner and waiting for a word from him. Last week, we went to topsail and found a ring and a woman came out from a cottage and asked if we had found a ring. She described it to a tee. She said that they had borrowed a detector and spent several hours trying to find it. We gave it back. We are going back to topsail after the 4th and try again. I really believe that what comes around, goes around. Maybe you'll find another block "R" this winter.

I agree with Chip. Well done on a rewarding two days. Of course now you will finds 5 Block R's all in a row, complete with cuff buttons from where the coat was discarded 150 years ago. Glad to see you up on the net. :occasion14:
 

FoundInNC

Sr. Member
Mar 20, 2012
458
637
Mebane, North Carolina
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Gold and AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Honorable mention! I don't think i could have given the stuff up, I keep everything, and that is how i justify detecting every day! Good for you!
 

leprechaun

Bronze Member
Feb 20, 2012
1,996
606
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030; The only metal detector I'll ever need
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Awesome find and return.:icon_thumleft:
 

flakefinder

Bronze Member
Jul 21, 2010
1,151
161
Michigan
Detector(s) used
2 Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I am sure you will be payed back 10 fold , whats a few dollars when you can make some ones life a little better and happier, way to go and I am glad there are people like you out there....
 

Giant056

Silver Member
Jun 10, 2007
2,873
468
Southwest Michigan
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
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Made in U.S.A.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's an awesome story for sure and congrats on those very memorable finds :thumbsup: about three hunts back in the water I found a hoop earring that was very worn looking with the base metal showing in spots and I didn't think much of it, well about 2 hours later people started showing up to swim and there was a lady and some other people in a group that showed up and they were all out in the water looking for something, I asked if they'd lost something and the lady said yes that her son had lost an earring the day before and she said it was a great big hoop earring (I didn't know guys wore them), I told her that I had found a couple and the first one I pulled out was the one ;D
 

electriceye

Jr. Member
Jun 23, 2012
21
3
Colorado
Detector(s) used
Minelab ETrac (purchase pending)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
What a GREAT story and lesson for all. With the find, you enrich one life (yours). With the return, you enrich two lives (thiers). Well done! :icon_thumleft:
 

bearbqd

Bronze Member
Jun 20, 2007
1,094
624
Shenandoah Valley
Detector(s) used
Minelab EXP II w/ Sunray X-1 probe, Garrett AT Pro/Propointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Cool story. Did you ask her out. She looks like a keeper?
 

TENNESSEEGAL

Sr. Member
Aug 20, 2005
485
117
Oak Ridge, TN
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Whites XLT and Minelab Excalabur 11
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
coinshooter said:
Sweet gal. You should have asked her out!

Her husband might not have liked that. Lol. He was the one who lost the watch. ;)
 

Gunrunner61

Silver Member
Jan 12, 2011
2,963
457
Dalton,Ga.
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, E Trac, Garrett Pro Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Good finds a a Very Gentlemanley thing to tind the owners and return there things, A Great Thing for our hobby.......Congrats......HH
 

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