Detectorist and wedding photographer team up to find unusual ring

Saturday 31 August 2024

A couple's special day could have been a disaster for the groomsman, had it not been for the teamwork of a local detectorist and the wedding photographer.

With so many people jumping in the sea as soon as the sun comes out, summer has been busy for firefighter and metal detectorist Steve Andrews, who uses his skills to help help people with tracking down their lost valuables rather than searching for historical curiosities.

One of this year's more notable jobs came last Sunday – from wedding photographer Paul Wright, who had been working at a wedding in St Brelade's Bay.

During a shoot as the groom and friends took a dip in the sea, one of the groom's friends, Daniel, lost his ring.

The group had run into the sea, dove in, and Daniel also remembered tripping – a moment which was captured on camera.

The loss of the ring was distressing enough in and of itself – but, even worse, Daniel had just got married earlier this year. 

Pictured: The tower in the pictures helped find the exact location of the ring. (Steve Andrews)

Though the shoot happened around 09:30, the tide was coming up and Steve had to come to the beach later in the day, after work, to look for the ring. 

“The key to finding them, really, is to narrow down the search area – generally, I ask people to put a pin on Google Maps," Steve explained, adding that he also uses white markers on the beach to mark off the search area. 

However, the job was made easier due to the fact that Paul had captured the morning dip on camera.

“Photos are really handy because you can go to the same location. I managed to get myself exactly where the photographer was standing and line up the tower, and then turning 180 degrees," Steve said.

Pictured: Steve is nominated for a Pride of Jersey award this year for "selfless character" and tireless work finding lost items. (Jon Guegan)

There was one potential snag, though.

The "very distinctive" ring was made out of zirconium and wood, he and Paul didn’t know whether his metal detector would pick up on the ring, or if the wood would make it float away. 

Paul spent the rest of the day "out and about" shooting the wedding, but remained in contact with Steve throughout the day. After the morning swim, Paul went on to photograph the bridal party getting ready – and managed to keep schtum about the ring loss.

All went smoothly and it was a "fantastic wedding" for everyone involved, according to Paul – perhaps most of all for Daniel, whose ring was found after all.

Pictured: The distinctive ring is made of zirconium and wood. (Steve Andrews)

Daniel had a hard time believing Steve when he said he had found the ring, asking for photo confirmation. 

“He didn’t want to get his hopes up,” Steve added.

Thankfully, it was confirmed to be the real deal and Steve returned Daniel's ring to him in the morning before he flew back to the UK.

Pictured - top: Paul and Steve used pictures to find the exact spot where the ring had gone missing. (Steve Andrews)