London - When lifeboatman Mark Thorne lost his wedding ring in the sea during an emergency call-out, he pulled out all the stops to get it back.
He scoured the shoreline with a metal detector and even searched for it underwater using scuba gear, before finally giving up hope.
Now, six years later, he has finally been reunited with the precious piece of jewellery after a friend stumbled across it during a walk at low tide.
Thorne’s platinum ring, which has a distinctive dent, came off his finger and plopped into the water in 2009 as he helped to launch a lifeboat in Weymouth Harbour, Dorset. It was eventually found by his friend Steve Woolford, who had taken a stroll along the shoreline.
Woolford said he had remembered the lost ring and thought “you never know, it’s worth a look” - before spotting it glinting in the mud. He added that he was “over the moon” with the discovery.
Thorne said he was “really, really chuffed” to be reunited with the ring.
The lifeboatman, who married in 2004, said: “I think I owe Steve a bottle of whisky.”
Daily Mail