Ontario Ring Recovery Services

Recovery Status: FOUND

Location: Dunes Beach, Sandbanks Provincial Park, Prince Edward County, Ontario

Item: Late-1800s Victorian Rose Gold Band with 3 Rose-Cut Diamonds

Environment: Shallow Water / Shifting Sand Dunes

Recovery Specialist: Ontario Ring Recovery Services

Equipment Used: Minelab Waterproof Metal Detector & Pull Tab Gear Scoop

Search Time: Under 2 hours

Date of Recovery: August 20th 2026

The late afternoon light was already turning amber over Lake Ontario when the message came through.

Michelle had been enjoying a summer afternoon at Dunes Beach in Sandbanks, cooling off in the shallow waters. While wringing out her hands, her world stopped. Her wedding ring (a late-1800s Victorian heirloom) featuring an intricate delicate rose gold band set with three rose cut diamonds, slipped off her finger and vanished into the shifting sands. 

Passed down through five generations from her great-great-great-grandmother, the ring had been on Michelle’s finger for 14 years already. 

Panic immediately set in. Desperate for help, she searched online and connected with myself at the Ontario Ring Recovery Services.

Time was strictly against us. A severe weather front was rolling in, with southwest winds predicted to hit a fierce 30 knots by morning. If those waves started churning, the relentless undertow at Dunes Beach would bury that historic heirloom under potentially “feet” of moving sand, or worse, sweep it out into deeper waters forever. Waiting until morning wasn’t an option. If I was going to get Michelle’s ring back, it had to be right now.

“I’m heading to the beach,” I told her over the phone. “I’ll call you in a few hours with the good, the bad, or the ugly.”

By the time I geared up and arrived on-site, the sun was sinking fast and Infact it was gone, painting the horizon in dark purples reds and dark greys. Michelle had pinned a drop location on Google Maps where she believed the ring slipped off. To her credit tho, her memory had served her well and was almost dead-on.

Working in the fading dusk, I stepped into the shallows and began grid searching the target area. 

Darkness was now fully in something I tell myself often is I won’t detect in the water at sandbanks at night especially without a partner to help if needed. The undertows at this location can be deadly, the wind began to howl, and whitecaps started cresting in the distance. 

Then, piercing through the dark, came that unmistakable, sweet mid tone on my machine, unmisteakingly telling me that gold must be on the other end.

I drove my Pull Tab Gear scoop deep into the wet, heavy sand, lifted the load, and let the water wash through the basket. Settling in the mesh, gleaming under the beam of my light, was the unmistakable shine of rose gold and three vintage diamonds. Against all odds and right before the storm hit, the 19th-century heirloom was safe.

By the time I loaded up the gear and hit the road home, it was well past 10PM. I would not get home until after 11PM now. 

 Not wanting to wake Michelle up in the middle of the night, I decided to hold off and deliver the good news first thing in the morning.

That turned out to be a bit of a funny mistake.

Thinking my silence meant I had failed my task, or worse, maybe I had ghosted her, Michelle had spent the late hours reaching out to every other detectorist in Eastern Ontario! 

By early morning, a whole crew of eager searchers was actively gearing up and heading out to Sandbanks to hunt for the ring. I had to quickly call Michelle at 10AM and let her know the search was already over, causing a wave of relief, a few laughs, and then she remembered, she needed to make some phone calls and fast. 

 A few hasty cancellations to the cavalry on their way to the dunes.

Lesson officially learned, no matter how late the clock strikes, when you rescue a priceless family heirloom, send the text immediately, if for no other reason than to make sure the owners waiting to hear from you can get a decent night’s sleep. I had forgotten to even get a photo of the ring so I asked Michelle to take a couple pictures to send me for this blog and my records. 

Remember, if you or someone you know has lost a precious sentimental or valued item. Don’t waste any time. Reach out so we can get a detectorists dispatched to your location immediately. 

Call 1-(613)-876-8167