Jordan Richards was smiling ear-to-ear when a professional treasure hunter returned his wedding band last Thursday, which the newlywed lost in Surrey only 26 hours after he tied the knot.
Richards told Peace Arch News he lost his wedding band on the 6100-block of 136 Street while removing items from a vehicle.
His father and grandfather spent hours searching for the ring, using a Tiger Torch to melt away the snow and even rented a metal detector.
As a last ditch effort, they contacted White Rock乌鸦传媒檚 Chris Turner, founder of , which is a directory of treasure hunters in the Lower Mainland and beyond.
Turner, who films all of his finds, was able to dig the ring out of the slush within a matter of minutes.
乌鸦传媒淚 can乌鸦传媒檛 believe it,乌鸦传媒� Richards told Turner Thursday as his ring was returned. 乌鸦传媒淚t means the world.乌鸦传媒�
The ring, which was in good condition minus a few chips, was sitting on the side of the road for 18 hours before it was returned. Turner believes the ring may have been struck by a vehicle, that乌鸦传媒檚 why the Richards family wasn乌鸦传媒檛 able to locate it.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 no longer a bad legend in the family. I was getting roasted pretty hard,乌鸦传媒� Richards told PAN.
Richards said it must have slipped off his finger while he was pulling his hand out of his pocket.
乌鸦传媒淛ust incredible,乌鸦传媒� Richards said to Turner. 乌鸦传媒淚 can乌鸦传媒檛 believe you found it乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 going to make for a funny story now.乌鸦传媒�
Turner has recovered more than 500 rings since he turned his metal-detecting hobby into a business.
His passion for metal detecting began in 1972, when he read about the hobby in a Field and Stream magazine.
乌鸦传媒淚 got a job all summer at a chicken farm 乌鸦传媒� I think I was 12 乌鸦传媒� I worked all summer and got my first metal detector and I乌鸦传媒檝e been hooked ever since,乌鸦传媒� Turner told PAN.
Shortly after purchasing the metal detector at age 12, Turner returned a ring to his neighbour, who lost it 10 years earlier in her garden.
乌鸦传媒淚 found it. I got apple pie for a year at my door. Just the look on her face乌鸦传媒� here I am 12 years old, not realizing that there乌鸦传媒檚 a business there.乌鸦传媒�
Turner kept the hobby, but set it aside while pursing a career in the film industry and played professional soccer until 1984.
He realized the business potential for his hobby while living in Los Angeles in 1986.
乌鸦传媒淓very morning I would get up early and search the beaches,乌鸦传媒� he said, adding that one time, a guy ran up to him, yelling in a panic.
乌鸦传媒淗e said his wife lost her engagement ring, and they had been there since 11 p.m. using flashlights,乌鸦传媒� Turner said.
乌鸦传媒淚 walked up there and found it in minutes. The look on that guys face was priceless. She was crying and his wallet came out and he gave me everything in it. I looked at him and said 乌鸦传媒業 don乌鸦传媒檛 want your money,乌鸦传媒� and he said 乌鸦传媒榶ou乌鸦传媒檙e taking it.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
Turner continued the hobby in Cancun, and when he moved back to Canada in 1995 he began to focus on how he could turn his hobby into a business.
He was contacted by an angel investor, who helped him launch The Ring Finders, which is a directory that lists more than 430 乌鸦传媒榬ing finders乌鸦传媒� across the globe.
Each ring finder posts a photo of the recovered ring and a photograph of its rightful owner. To date, more than 5,111 recoveries have been recorded, an estimated $7.5 million worth of jewelry returned.
But not all ventures are successful.
Turner, who only accepts payment if he finds the lost item, has spent days 乌鸦传媒� unsuccessfully 乌鸦传媒� searching for a ring.
乌鸦传媒淚f I don乌鸦传媒檛 find it, I don乌鸦传媒檛 get paid. I乌鸦传媒檓 a fanatic. When I know there乌鸦传媒檚 a ring, I乌鸦传媒檒l do everything I can. You would not believe how many times I look at them and say your ring is not here, start looking somewhere else.乌鸦传媒�
His process begins with detective work, Turner asks numerous questions in hopes of revealing a clue about where the ring was lost.
One of the biggest challenges, Turner said, is that people think they lose rings when and where they notice them missing.
乌鸦传媒淏each people, if they乌鸦传媒檙e swimming and their ring is gone, they associate the loss right where they乌鸦传媒檙e standing. I get there and it乌鸦传媒檚 not there. They wonder why I can乌鸦传媒檛 find it, and it乌鸦传媒檚 only because it乌鸦传媒檚 not there. Association of loss could put you a half a mile away, or could put you three hours of searching away. That乌鸦传媒檚 why I ask the questions,乌鸦传媒� Turner said.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a lot like being a detective, and it乌鸦传媒檚 fun. I like the challenge. The beautiful thing about this service is the stories that are attached to people乌鸦传媒檚 ring.乌鸦传媒�
Turner said he乌鸦传媒檚 been called to recover rings that were in the range of $65,000 to a silver wedding band. But each time, the reaction is similar.
It乌鸦传媒檚 not the price-tag that gives the rings its value, Turner said it乌鸦传媒檚 the sentimental attachment that makes the rings irreplaceable.
In 2010, Turner said he was asked to go to Canmore to help an Australian man recover three rings for his girlfriend.
The Australian and his girlfriend were road-tripping through Canada, near Canmore, when they pulled off to the side of the road to take a photo of the mountains. Before exiting the vehicle, the woman took off five rings and put them in the pouch in her sweater.
It wasn乌鸦传媒檛 until the flight back to Australia that she had noticed the rings were gone, and she had a good idea of where she might have lost them.
Turner said the Australian flew back to Canada and retraced their steps using photographs they took along the way. The Australian found the approximate area of where the rings were lost, and spent two days digging with a fork 乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒渋f you can believe it乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� and was able to recover two rings.
The following year, the Australian contacted Turner and the two made an arrangement to meet in the area to find the missing three rings.
As Turner was driving up to the location, it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 looking promising, he told PAN, adding that road crews had been digging up the side of the road, but stopped just before where the rings were lost.
After a grid-search of the area, Turner was able to find the remaining three rings an entire year after they were lost. The couple eventually got married.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a true love story.乌鸦传媒�
But not all cases end with a happy result. With a growing number of metal detector enthusiasts searching public areas like beaches, finding a ring has become a time sensitive task.
乌鸦传媒淚f it乌鸦传媒檚 lost on a private property, it乌鸦传媒檚 still there,乌鸦传媒� Turner told PAN. 乌鸦传媒淚f it乌鸦传媒檚 lost on a beach, you need to get on it right away.乌鸦传媒�
Although the challenge of the hunt lures Turner to the job, it乌鸦传媒檚 the reaction of people 乌鸦传媒� and giving them a second chance at finding their sentimental item 乌鸦传媒� that makes it his passion.
On his YouTube channel, Turner edited together an eight-minute video that shows reactions of his customers as they learn he found their ring.
Their unfiltered reactions 乌鸦传媒� sometimes accompanied with tears of joy 乌鸦传媒� never get old, 乌鸦传媒淚 love it,乌鸦传媒� he said.
Although successful at returning numerous high-value rings, there乌鸦传媒檚 only one find that truly stole his heart.
乌鸦传媒淢y wife is the most valuable thing I found.乌鸦传媒�
