Thoughts on lost gold wedding ring

carnivore

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Apr 12, 2013
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New York City
A friend of mine lost his 18k gold wedding ring in a 2.5 foot very rocky river with a rather fast moving current. He actually has a video of the moment he loses the ring. He lost the ring 6 years ago and it happened in a spot where nobody would ever think to detect. My question is do you think the ring is still very close to where he dropped it? My non metal detecting friends unanimously think the ring has been swept miles downstream. But I think, it's most likely trapped in a crevice very close to where the event happened. I'm somewhat new to this hobby but I'm thinking of taking the long drive down there with my AT Pro to be a hero. Gold is denser than lead, which they use to make sinkers, so is my thinking crazy?
 
A friend of mine lost his 18k gold wedding ring in a 2.5 foot very rocky river with a rather fast moving current. He actually has a video of the moment he loses the ring. He lost the ring 6 years ago and it happened in a spot where nobody would ever think to detect. My question is do you think the ring is still very close to where he dropped it? My non metal detecting friends unanimously think the ring has been swept miles downstream. But I think, it's most likely trapped in a crevice very close to where the event happened. I'm somewhat new to this hobby but I'm thinking of taking the long drive down there with my AT Pro to be a hero. Gold is denser than lead, which they use to make sinkers, so is my thinking crazy?
 
A friend of mine lost his 18k gold wedding ring in a 2.5 foot very rocky river with a rather fast moving current. He actually has a video of the moment he loses the ring. He lost the ring 6 years ago and it happened in a spot where nobody would ever think to detect. My question is do you think the ring is still very close to where he dropped it? My non metal detecting friends unanimously think the ring has been swept miles downstream. But I think, it's most likely trapped in a crevice very close to where the event happened. I'm somewhat new to this hobby but I'm thinking of taking the long drive down there with my AT Pro to be a hero. Gold is denser than lead, which they use to make sinkers, so is my thinking crazy?
 
Yep it will be very close to where he dropped it. Rings are hollow and sink fast. Then they get wedged between rocks. Because it is hollow it will not tumble away like a coin would.
 
There is one way to find out.


And, by the way....have you considered posting in every single section on the board...I don't see any reason to stop at just three? :grin:
 
Look to see what happens to the river in the winter. Does rainfall and snow melt off cause surges in flow? That can cause heavier items to move down stream. If the stream is fairly regular, then you may be able to find the ring closer to where he lost it. If there are a lot of larger boulders, then the ring stands a better chance of being close to the drop location as the turbulence will help keep the heavier items down in the crevices. Only one way to find out...go do some searching. Good luck.
 
It is possible that it is still nearby lodged between rocks. However, if that area is prone to floods even the rocks can be swept downstream. I would probably try to find it. Look at it as an adventure: who knows what else may be there. Good luck!
 
I'm no expert but I agree with you on this one. I would at least detect the area where he lost it first and go from there. A lot can happen in 6 years but I've read of crazier stories.
Best of luck and let us know!! HH
 
I'm with scuba, I did this several years ago when hunting to make sure I did not miss anything. I took a wood pole from a beach umbrella, tiewraped a lite rope to it, then I would buckle the rope to my belt loop and start the spirall once I locate a Hot Area. In,......... then out, then move the pole. And this is good for calmer water, like the Bay here in maryland. Good Luck, keep us informed.
 
It depends on the stream, and I dont know what kind of stream you are taling about. If the bottom of the stream is large rocks it is likely because of high flows during runoff that scour the channel, this would be consistent with the fast current. If so, it is unlikely the ring is near where he dropped it, or if it is, it might be several feet down.

Is this stream rocky because of high flows and fast current? Has there been many high flow events in the last 6 years? I hate to be the party pooper here, but my fish biology/hydrologist background tells me the recovery is highly unlikely.

With that said, I would probably try it also. Good luck!
 
Hate to say it, but if the river has large rocks, it is most likely in a crack between rocks, and even if you manage to move the large rock it is wedged between it will just fall deeper. If the bottom is just small baseball sized rocks or smaller, you may be able to pull it off.

Keep in mind snow is melting right now, so the rivers are probably at their deepest and fastest. May want to wait until the end of summer/fall.
 
I just watched the video. That is a mountain runoff stream. It is high gradient, with high velocity and scour. There is a reason that the rocks you see are the size of washing machines. Everything smaller than that gets washed away. These systems typically have a lot of gravel moving through them every winter.

You cant look at the stream in the summer and understand how much material passes down the channel. Streams are a conveyor belt of water AND earth from the tops of the mountains to the ocean. That is their job and this ones looks like it is good at it.

The only way the ring is still anywhere near there is if it got caught in a crack in the bedrock. But even then, there will be gravel deposited on top of it (up to a couple feet) after the runoff season subsides.

I don't blame you for going to try. And honestly, I really hope you get to come back here to update this thread and show everyone how wrong I am. I will be pulling for you.
 
1) Does this river flood anually?
2) If so are the floods massive or just moderate?
3) How much different does the area he lost it look TO HIM from when he lost it to now?
4) Keep in mind moving water is very strong. 1 foot of swift moving water can sweep you off your feet and down stream.
5) You'd need an equivalent size/type ring to test on. Put it in the gravel near shore about 3" down to test your coil over to see what kind of reading you will get.

The ring is most likely only going to move as far as the smaller gravel around it. It could possibly be within a few yards of the lost point. If this river gets very high flood levels and it carries large trees and large (basket ball size) rocks downstream, The ring could indeed be miles downstream OR Buried deeper than the ATP will go. Would be good at least for a nice swim and some experience tho.
 
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