CLEARWATER, Fla. — A Pinellas County couple was reunited with their lost wedding ring.
Clearwater police said the couple was visiting Clearwater Beach when the husband lost his ring. The couple had matching wedding bands and have been married for 17 years.
He did not know if he lost it in the sand or water.
Officers suggested the couple call the Suncoast Research and Recovery Club. The club is made up of volunteers across the Tampa Bay region.
"Just the expression on people's faces when we reunite them with their lost ring especially wedding bands and engagement rings, it's just a priceless look on their face," said Howard Metts, President with Suncoast Research and Recovery Club.
Howard Metts and two other volunteers helped the couple by searching the beach.
Bill Gallant has been a volunteer with the club for about 7 years. He found the ring in the sand after searching for about an hour. He found it 80 feet from the water.
"I had put it on my little finger and I asked her if she had taken any photographs that day. She was looking at photographs so we could match up the buildings on the beach maybe line up where she was actually," said Gallant.
"She's up close to her phone pointing like this and telling me see this building here. I'm saying which one and I'm pushing the ring right in front of her face. She never noticed until Howard said look at his finger. She looks down."
Metts took a photo of her reaction.
"Most people think the ring is going to disappear and it's gone forever and they can't believe we can find the ring especially when it's out in the ocean a lot of times," said Metts.
In the past 9 years, the club has used metal detectors to reunite more than 600 items with their owners.
"This is something we enjoy doing. I'm glad we were able to reunite her with her husband's ring especially during the Christmas holiday and it really gave them some joy," said Metts.
