Have you ever lost something you thought you’d never find again? This man named Nathan Reeves from the Gold Coast lost one of the most precious possessions a couple can have—a wedding ring.
He and his wife, Suzie Quintal, who live on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, visited Norfolk Island to see family around Christmas time. As he went swimming in Emily Bay, he realized his ring had fallen off his finger.
Nathan tried to recover it but couldn’t, and he eventually lost hope that it will be found considering he lives in the Gold Coast.
But in May, a local snorkeler named Susan Prior spotted the missing $1,000 ring lodged around the neck of a little mullet fish.
Susan, who runs Norfolk Island’s Reef website, said she heard the news about Nathan’s lost wedding band earlier this year. She was able to track down the couple via a community Facebook page.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Susan said seeing the fish trapped in the ring was “gut-wrenching.” Although she had seen other fish caught in plastic rings, seeing one weighed down by metal was truly alarming.
“The metal can only be removed by catching the fish in a net and gently removing it,” the diver said. “The fish seems to be OK so far but as it grows, the ring will cut into it.”
Suzie said her husband searched everywhere for the missing ring but had no luck finding it.
“He tried to look for it and then broke the news to me and I was not happy,” she said. “I always tell him to take it off before he goes for a swim. He lost it a day before our second wedding anniversary.”
After failing to find the ring themselves, locals on the island immediately came together to help them—some even came armed with metal detectors.
“People are now trying to source nets, some have got scuba gear,” Suzie said. “The team in the glass bottom boats are going to have a look – Norfolk’s really good like that.”
Suzie recalled being “spun out” after hearing that a snorkeler had found Nathan’s wedding ring five months later.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I’ve got a few friends on the island and they’re pretty adamant that they’ll find it,” she said.
On the other hand, Nathan isn’t worried one bit. Suzie, who’s concerned about the poor little fish, said he “doesn’t understand all the fuss.”
Suzie and Nathan who are from Gold Coast, Australia haven’t been able to return to Norfolk Island. As of today, they are still waiting for news about the lost ring.
Let’s hope locals catch the mullet fish and find a way to safely remove the ring from its body!
And speaking of wedding rings, a woman named Kay Butler also lost hers. The precious jewelry had been missing for around 15 years.
According to her daughter Lacey Butler, they had looked for it around the house for months. But when it didn’t show up, they concluded it had been lost on a job site or stolen.
But in October 2014, Lacey’s father found a small wooden box that held the elusive wedding ring!
Lacey knew her mom would be ecstatic upon seeing the ring again, but she and her dad decided to put a sweet twist into the reveal.
On the day, Lacey’s dad walks into their garage and asks Kay, “What are you looking for?” Then, he knelt down on one knee, held up his right hand, and proposed to her once again.
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
As soon as Kay realized what her husband was holding, she fell to the floor, visibly shocked by what just happened. Of course, she said “yes” and gave him a tight hug!
It surely was a happy ending for Kay and her husband. We hope Suzie and Nathan get theirs, too!
Click on the video below to learn more about the wedding ring at sea.
Cindy Smith
Wednesday 1st of March 2023
How is a fish being tortured by having a ring trapped around its body a Positive Outlook you idiots?