Man with metal detector finds rings in sand and gives them back
"They were probably worth at least $15,000 - they were nice rings."
By Jake Meeus-Jones
A metal detectorist reunited a woman with her $15,000 engagement and wedding rings after she lost BOTH of them at a beach.
Casey Johnson lost the rings when they slipped off while she was swimming at Vilano Beach, St Augustine, Florida.
She posted pictures of the rings on Facebook, hoping for a miracle and that someone might find them.
Joseph Cook, 39, stumbled across the post and told the couple he'd give it a go but admitted that the chances of finding them were low.
He set off the next day at around 4 am and began searching for a signal on his detector.
Amazingly, Joseph got a strong signal just 15 minutes in and began digging, delighted to find the wedding ring on April 29.
Quite miraculously, as Joseph picked up his detector again, he got another signal just six inches away - and found the engagement ring.
A "pretty excited" Joseph let the couple know the good news and arranged to meet up to return the precious cargo.
The "shocked" couple tried to pay for Joseph's selfless service, but he denied any form of payment.
Joseph, a detectorist and content creator, from St Augustine, Florida, said: "I told them they must have a guardian angel - never in my life have I found two rings right next to each other.
"A lot of people tell me they never find anything, and I do feel like I have something helping, you can call it karma, whatever, but it's happened so many times.
"Sometimes I get a feeling or a vision, and I know it's going to happen.
"For this one, I had that weird feeling that I was going to find them, and I told all my family the night before."
Before meeting up to return them, Joseph didn't tell Casey that he had found both of her rings.
He said: "I sent her a message and said 'hey, I might have a present for ya'
"So we met at the beach pier, and they thought maybe I found one of them, so when I brought out both of them, they were shocked.
"They tried to give me a bunch of money, but I do these things for fun, I don't take money for it.
"They were probably worth at least $15,000 - they were nice rings."
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