For hire . All hours metal detector hire service. Its was 7pm Saturday evening when Tom phoned from Wamberal beach near Gosford. He told me his story of how he was wresting with his dog on the beach and some where in the excitment his golden wedding band was pulled from his finger into the sand. Looking and feeling for it in the sand until night set in making any further search very difficult. I think Tom sounded a little surprised over the phone I was willing to drive to Wamberal and search that night for the ring he took his vows with. I was glad Tom was willing to meet me about 9pm on a Saturday night a show me the search area on the beach as the tide was going out . I feel it is important to search ASAP on a beach as the sand is always shifting . On some beaches they have beach sweeping machines contracted that can beat us to your jewellery buried in the sand. If that happens it is most likly lost forever. The search began on a moonless night it was very dark on the beach, the waves where pounding, the only light from near by houses illuminating the landmarks. This did not sway Tom’s unerring sense of direction and he soon located and defined the search area, the scene of the dog wrestling. First of all I searched quickly closest area to the sea near a 3 foot vertical sand bank drop off, robbing the sea of a possible new treasure. This was clear of any metal targets. Slowly I worked my way up the beach, our shadowy progress punctuated by the barking of a local neighborhood dog. The barking dog worked in our favour as the dog owners turned on outside flood lights to see what the noise was all about lighting our search area some what. The unusual minerals in the sand was tripping the detector as metal targets. It is times like this cheap hire detectors will have you digging endlessly finding no metal targets, this can be highly frustrating for any one. But to a reliable Etrac detector it indicated it was only minerals under foot, yet I slow down and always double check as minerals can mask targets. I don’t like taking the slightest chance in missing precious memories through haste.
Lovely Gold Rounded ring.
I worked my way up the beach systematically away from the ocean, I was getting worried as I was close to top of the primary search area with out any thing to show to for 45 minutes work. I was thinking the search would have to extend down the beach over the area Tom and his wife walked before they noticed the rings was gone. A vast new search area with an ever dececreasing chance of success… On the 2nd last leg of the search sweep on the outer most edge of the detector coil was a metal signal not gold. But quickly the reading changed as I centered over the target. Toms ring then sounded like a golden Big Ben in the head phones loud and clear. With the quick use of the pin pointer probe I had hand full of sand and Toms wedding band in my hand. It was solid and uniquely rounded inside and out on the band quite unusual must be very comfortable to wear. Well Tom came over excepted the ring and in a spontaneous moment of happiness and relief bear hugging me lol I return gave him a couple of thumps on the back as the wave of success was like crossing the line in a State of Origin match I would imagine. Tom held the ring in the head lamp light I think the photo captures his feelings at that moment best of all, do you? The job done, I was invited back to meet Tom’s family for a most welcome coffee before my return journey to Sydney. There I also meet family dog good watch dog that started this lost ring story. Toms and his charming wife’s was happy, a little surprised and I think a little relieved the ring was back on Toms finger where she be wed him it 16 years ago. I thank the family for the write up in face book and for the generous reward for coming out quickly and success. However the story doesn’t quite end there as I lost a digging tool possibly on Toms beach. I put a reward out of $50 for my gator digging tool (fancy garden trowel) I lost some where on one of three beachs I visited that night. So I in a total roll reversal I experienced a new loss. I thank Tom for checking his beach for me but the trowel remains at large. So the moral of this story is we all lose stuff and really appreciate its triumphant if not unexpected return when hope can be diminished. I just hope my finder of the garden tool makes good use of it 
Tony from Jewellery Rescue.
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