East Beach, Santa Barbara · August 2026
Wedding Band Recovered at East Beach, Santa Barbara
Ashley handed her rings to her mother before swimming. Her mother forgot she was holding them and stood up. The engagement ring turned up before I arrived — the wedding band did not.
The most common loss there is
Ashley gave her engagement ring and wedding band to her mother for safekeeping before going in for a swim. Her mother, entirely understandably, forgot she was holding them, got up at some point during the afternoon, and both rings went into the sand. I hear a version of this story constantly — the ring that gets lost is very often the one somebody was protecting.
Half the problem solved
The larger engagement ring was found before I even got there, which is common: bigger rings with stones are easier to spot in the sand by eye. The plain wedding band, which sinks flat and disappears, was still missing.
Expanding the grid
I searched the area Ashley thought the band might be in and made several passes with nothing. So I widened the search grid — and a few minutes later the Manticore gave me a solid 10. The wedding band was in my scoop.
The lesson
If one of two rings has already turned up, do not assume the other is close by. They come off a hand at different moments and land in different places. That's why I grid outward rather than just digging where the first one was found.
Lost something similar? Call or text me on 805-290-5009. I cover all of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, seven days a week. A $75 call-out fee covers my travel; if I find it, you set the reward.