A brave diver has ended a two-year hunt for a couple’s lost engagement ring after it accidentally went overboard on a boating trip and they feared it would be lost forever.
Nick Richards, a metal detectorist from Forster on NSW’s mid-north coast, and a friend found the priceless antique ring lost by Mike and Joanna Vink in Sydney’s Paramatta River after several other scuba teams failed to locate it on the murky riverbed.
After six hours beneath the surface and a couple of air tank refills, Mr Richards heard a ping from his metal detector before sifting through 25cm of muddy sand to discover the ring.
But he warned his missions are not for everyone.
Mr Richards said he is one of the only divers willing to enter the waters around the Five Dock Bay area because it is notorious for bull sharks, but said the satisfaction of finding treasured lost items helps him overcome the fear.
The ring, which was over 100 years old and celebrated the couple’s 40-year marriage, had been on Mr Richards’ mind after the couple hired a friend of his who emerged from the river unsuccessful after his own expedition.
After six hours beneath the surface, Nick Richards heard a ping from his metal detector before finding the ring under 25cm of muddy sand
The 140-year old engagement rink fell overboard when Mike and Joanna Vink were out boating in 2021
Despite the dangerous nature of the water, Mr Richards said its ‘mind over matter’ when it comes to the job and that he doesn’t blame others from staying away.
‘The murk’s not everyone’s cup of tea and I’m not even actually sure it’s my cup of tea,’ Mr Richards joked to Daily Mail Australia.
‘I’ve often wondered whether a metal detector attracts sharks or deters them, I don’t know. They’re dangerous, but you’ll never see them because in the Parramatta (river), you don’t see anything.
‘From the moment you leave the surface and get to the seabed you don’t see anything.’
Relying purely on sound, he recalled hearing two pings in the hours he spent searching for the ring.
Sharks are notorious in Sydney’s Paramatta river where the priceless ring was lost
The first was within the first hour or two and turned out to be a sinker, but the second was more promising after six hours on the hunt.
‘There’s no point in even looking at it when you pick it up, because of how little you can actually see – you’re relying on a mental picture of what you’re looking for,’ he said.
‘When I got to the surface and confirmed it was the ring I sent Mike a photo and it was two hours before he messaged back saying, ‘is that real?’.’
‘I said, ‘Well, yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s real, but if it’s not the ring that you’re looking for are you ok with this one instead?’.’
Mr Richards said the couple told him they were so happy they didn’t sleep on Sunday after he found it, although they are yet to actually have it back in their possession.
Mr Vink had to leave around 11am, just half an hour after the search had begun, to get to work, so after Mr Richards found the ring he headed home where he posted it in the mail.
‘According to my tracking information it was due there between 11am and 1pm today,’ Mr Richards said.
‘I actually insured the ring with Australia Post but they only insure things up to $5,000 and I think this ring is worth much, much more than that.’
And when it comes to money, Mr Richards does not accept payments for his work, saying that he does it purely for the satisfaction of reuniting lost items with their owners.
‘We like people to cover our costs which they did, but we do it for the mission and for the satisfaction of it,’ he said.
‘If they really want to pay, we just ask them to make a donation to the surf club or something.
‘Sometimes they’ll buy me half a case of ginger beer which costs maybe 10 bucks.
‘In cases like this everyone’s a winner, Joanna has a win getting their ring back and we have a win because it’s tremendously satisfying.’
Mr Richards even noted that the locals had a happy ending in the long drawn-out hunt for Ms Vink’s ring.
‘There was a fella there when we were wrapping up who asked what we were doing.
‘He said, ‘For two years I’ve been watching people dive here, I had no idea what they were doing bit it must’ve been fairly important’.’
Mr Richards then explained about the lost ring and that the hunt was over.
‘Even he was happy that we’d found it.’