Lost engagement ring recovered in the sand with the help of a young boy's metal detector

It was meant to be a moment filled with love and anticipation, a proposal to cherish forever. However, fate had other plans, and what should have been a magical moment turned into a proposal gone wrong. A Tennessee man thought his proposal was almost ruined when he realized the ring had "fallen out of his pocket," according to Myrtle Beach police.

As detailed in a Facebook post, the man shared his unfortunate predicament: while capturing photos at various spots along the beach, he reached the final location only to realize that the ring had slipped out of his pocket. PFC Sean Owens, PFC Zachary Stashick and PFC John Lively promptly initiated a search of the previous photography locations along the beach. Joining the effort, PFC Shon McCluskey and K9 Goggles arrived and seized the opportunity to utilize the incident as a training exercise for Goggles.

Officials said that after a young eyewitness heard what was happening, they "jumped into action with a metal detector in hand." They managed to find the ring in about 45 seconds. "The ring was quickly returned to the gentleman for him to continue his proposal! For those of you wondering, she said yes! The Myrtle Beach community pulls together anytime, anywhere, for anyone! We wish the engaged couple a happy future!" the post concluded.

In the comments section, netizens shared their sentiments about the story with Bri Henson writing, "I was their photographer! So happy to see this and so awesome of MBPD to save the day!" Susan Ricotta wrote, "This is such a wonderful story with a happy ending! Congratulations." Cindy Skipper Kapcsandi shared, "Amazing story to be retold for the rest of their lives. Great job to all the kind folks that helped."

NBC affiliate WYFF-TV identified the good samaritan as 15-year-old Isaiah Krekeler. The Ohio native told the outlet that he was "hanging out with friends" when "someone walks over and says, 'Hey, someone lost a ring over there.'" The teen admitted, "I was surprised I found it so quick." Krekeler said he handed the ring to the woman who was about to be proposed to and she hugged him. "I felt like I saved a marriage," he quipped.

Experiencing the loss of personal belongings can be disheartening, leaving us with a profound sense of absence. However, occasionally, these items have a remarkable way of finding their way back to us. Such is the case with an engagement ring that resurfaced a year after it slipped down the drain. In March 2022, a resident of Chino Hills, California, contacted the Public Works Department to report an unfortunate incident.

According to officials in a press release, the individual explained that his soon-to-be stepson accidentally flushed his fiancée's engagement ring down the toilet. Despite making efforts to recover the ring, as reported by PEOPLE, the man was unsuccessful in retrieving it. In his communication with the authorities, he disclosed that he unintentionally pushed the ring deeper into the pipes while attempting to locate it using a sewer inspection camera.

The press release elaborated on the situation, stating that due to the residence's location at the end of a cul-de-sac, it was suspected that the ring hadn't traveled a significant distance, even considering regular household activities such as laundry and showers over the course of a couple of days.