FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The ringing, piercing sound of a metal detector is what excites Brian Haines because it means he’s close to completing his job.
Haines is a ring finder, which means people call him when they’ve lost their engagement, wedding or meaningful ring.
“You call me, set up a time to come find your item,” he said.
He works for the Ring Finders Metal Detecting Service, which allows people to search for ring finders in the area. Brian is one of two in the Fresno area.
David Efseaff is the other ring finder, and he said he’s been metal detecting for 20 years and working for Ring Finders for at least 10.
Haines has been working for the service for the past year, but as a hobby, he’s been doing it for about nine years.
He said he’s found 10 rings on his own, and since working for the company, he recalled a moment that made it all worth it.
“I got a call from a lady, just devastated because her husband had lost his ring, and I told her to describe to me what happened over the phone, and I said ‘I can come tomorrow,'” Haines said.
After meeting her the next day, he said the woman did a good job of reenacting how her husband had lost the ring. After giving Haines a general idea of the area it could be in, it was only a matter of seconds before he would find it.
“Couldn’t find it in the front, so as soon as we went in the fence, I think maybe not even five seconds, as soon as I got inside the fence, I found it,” he said.
Haines said he doesn’t do it for the money.
“You pay me what the value is or what you can afford to pay me, that’s what I get as a reward,” he said. “I don’t charge a fee other than my gas cost to get there.”
Instead, he said the best reward he gets in return are the reactions he sees on their faces.
“It’s a priceless heirloom for that person regardless of what it cost them whether it’s a ring, a grandma’s ring, you know whatever it is, to me it’s getting it back to them, that’s the perfect moment,” Haines said. “You can’t beat the smile on their face when they get that item back.”
