Under the Sand of St. Augustine

"Bob Spratley has a lot of secrets.

He knows where to find 20 shipwrecks around St. Augustine, he can find gold and silver buried beneath the sands of local beaches, and he discovered one of the sites of the nation’s most notorious slaughters.

'He found the Matanzas site, the massacre site,' said John Powell, living history interpreter at the Fountain of Youth. 'Bob is beyond a metal detectorist. Bob is touched by God.'"

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Daron Dean / The St. Augustine Record

FL Man Denied Pursuit of Treasure

"A would-be treasure hunter searching for pirate gold can't dig at a Palm Beach County park, county officials decided Thursday.

Concerns about disturbing a historic site — and the possibility of metal detector-wielding copycats flocking to county parks wanting to dig — prompted the county to quash plans for the dig at DuBois Park in Jupiter.

Just last week, the county was working on a proceeds-sharing deal with a local man who proposed a small dig to find out what was setting off his metal detectors at the park.

The size and location of the unknown buried object, as well as the history of the area, convinced him it was a chest of riches, possibly buried hundreds of years ago by shipwreck survivors or even pirates passing the Palm Beach County coast."

Read more HERE.

Indie Film Star a Treasure Hunter

"...

How did you guys do with the hurricane?
We actually did pretty well! My house is fine, we actually have a shore house, so we got pretty lucky. But all our power was out, so we stayed with my Aunt Kathy for a few days. I just got back to the house today and I cannot wait to go out on the beach with my metal detector!  I am telling you, I am a professional treasure hunter and I am going to find the jewels!"

Read more HERE.

NY Storm Swingers

"Ana Ramirez, 35, of Coney Island swung her metal detector over the sand just off the Coney Island Boardwalk in the shadow of the Wonder Wheel ride.

'People say that storms sweep a lot of sand away, so it’s a good time to look for things on the beach,' Ms. Ramirez said as she walked on the beach a few days after Tropical Storm Irene lashed the city.

She recently bought a second-hand detector from a friend for $40 to search for valuables for some extra income, to augment her usual practice of gathering and redeeming cans and bottles to help provide for her five young children."

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Robert Stolarik / New York Times

WIRED Magazine Sits with Treasure Hunters

Great multipage spread from Wired Magazine.

"They are specters from our collective childhood, observed from behind half-finished sandcastles. They move purposefully along the beach, captivating young onlookers with the promise of magical treasure.

They are the metal-detector guys. The archetypal loners. Sealed off from the world by giant headphones, happy to reward young tagalongs with a bottle cap.

'It’s my Zen,' says Alex Kelley, President of the Bay Area Searchers. For many, like Kelley, the hunt itself is a meditative experience, a way to escape from the daily grind."

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Wired Magazine

FL Pirates Out After Irene

 "Hurricane Irene brought a treasure trove of waves for surfers last week, but Flagler Beach resident Eric Nierstedt was looking for a different kind of treasure.


He was combing the beach, with a shovel slung over his left shoulder and a metal detector in his right hand. Neither the rain nor the waves dissuaded him.

'I haven't found anything, yet,' he said just before 10 a.m. 'The tide is still pretty high, though.'"

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Julie Murphy \ The Daytona News Journal

Lake Close to Home Drained

"Phil LaRocco has waited 35 years for Berkeley Lake to be drained. Like all treasure hunters, he knows great stuff lurks at the bottom of lakes, especially this one.

'I was here with my father in 1976 when the lake was low,' he said, moving his metal detector over the dry lake bed. 'He found 67 gold and silver rings in two weeks.'

Berkeley Lake is being drained as part of a $3.25 million bond project that includes a berm to screen Interstate 70 on the north, with trees and native grasses fringing a walking trail."

Read more HERE.

Image Credits: Andy Cross / The Denver Post .

Canada Man Turns Hobby into Recovery Business

"Andrea Bielecki was slamming some last-minute flowers into her front garden this summer when she slipped her wedding band and 1.5-carat diamond engagement ring into her bra so she wouldn’t lose them.

Company was coming, she had an eye on her toddler and it was only for a minute.

Then her daughter ran into the neighbour’s yard and Bielecki had to chase her, her mom arrived with groceries to be unloaded, Bielecki swept up some leaves in the backyard and suddenly it was bedtime.

Her wedding ring tumbled out of her clothes. Her engagement ring did not."

Read more HERE.

Check out Mark Ellis at Ellis Metal Detecting Service.

Image Credit: Keith Beaty \ Toronto Star

Eastern Shore Treasure Seekers

 
"While many lost items are of significant value, they're usually priceless to their owners. That's why a band of metal detector enthusiasts are breaking out their gear in preparation for the hunt.

'You'll never know the feeling of finding something that means something to somebody ... unless you've done it,' said Salisbury resident Bill Draper. 'It's really a unique feeling -- a feeling $1,000 doesn't buy.'

Draper is the co-founder of Shore Seekers Artifact & Recovery Club, an organization formed in 1988 for the purpose of enjoying the hobby of metal detecting with fellow enthusiasts who specialize in reuniting people with their lost items."

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Chuck Snyder \ Delaware Wave

UK Beach Coughs Up WWI Medal

"A metal detector enthusiast is appealing for the family of a First World War serviceman to come forward after unearthing his medal on a beach.

Tom Neesam found a solid silver medal on Seaton Carew beach while out using his metal detector.

It belonged to Robert Henry Pollard, who was born in Hartlepool in 1886 and went on to receive three other war medals."

 Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Peterlee Mail

Bama Coast Gold Hunters

"Treasure hunter is the last thought that springs to mind when you see the middle-aged Mobile couple standing neck deep in the Gulf of Mexico wearing big yellow headphones.


But it’s the only description that fits.

While some people dream of diamonds and rubies, Mike Taylor and Darlene McAfee find them.

They ply the waters off the Alabama coast looking for gold, silver and other treasures lost in the sea. It’s not pirate booty they find, but loot lost by unlucky tourists."

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Ben Raines \ Press-Register

T'Hunters Give Away Some Secrets

"Searching for treasure isn't only for movie characters. Real-life adventure hunters have unearthed treasures worth thousands of dollars in their own backyards.

Take Tim Saylor and George Wyant, who have their own metal detecting-themed company called Anaconda Treasure. By day, Saylor writes software for an insurance company and his friend Wyant is a copper miner. But on weekends, the Montana men have taken metal detecting to a whole new level.

'We're not exactly normal,' Wyant said. 'We don't think fun and comedy and treasure detecting have to be mutually exclusive.'"

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Getty Images

WWII UXO on UK Beach

"A novice metal dectoristist had the shock of his life when he dug up an unexploded WW2 bomb instead of treasure.

Colvyn Gillmon, 46, discovered the mortar bomb whilst out searching for hidden gold or metal artefacts near to Dorchester Cemetery on Saturday afternoon.

It was only the second time the Dorchester man had used his metal detector."

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Steve Greaves

Pismo Beach Peddling

"As tens of thousands of people left local beaches after fireworks shows Monday night, a whole new crowd headed the opposite direction.

Metal-detector enthusiasts moved in, ready to find what was left behind.

As the fireworks ended in Pismo Beach, treasure-hunter Gil Rivera was armed and ready.

The 76-year-old LAPD retiree landed with a team around midnight and sifted the sands until three in the morning."

Read more HERE.

Image Credits: KSBY

NC Man Finds What Folks Lose

"Using a metal detector, Ray Cox finds coins, cell phones, keys and rings on the beaches of New Hanover County. He also finds a lot of less obvious things, from cooking equipment to brass knuckles.

Last year, the Wilmington resident became a beach discovery himself.

In May 2010, a physics professor in Canada found a message in a bottle Cox threw into the sea in 1961. The message said: 'IF FOUND PLEASE WRITE TO: Jesse Ray Cox, 106 Lake Shore Dr. Wilmington, North Carolina. May 21, 1961 2044.' (The 2044 refers to 8:44 p.m. in military time.)

During a visit to Nova Scotia in September, seeing the message again was an emotional experience for Cox, a normally unemotional person."

Read more HERE.

Image Credits: Jeff Janowksi / StarNews

Rallygoers Recover Ring

"A holidaymaking family have hailed two men at a Huttoft metal detecting rally after they came to their rescue when an engagement ring went missing on a local beach.

Sarah Lawrence, who hails from Cambridgeshire, was left distraught after she lost her treasured ring when her family were playing a game of volleyball on the beach in Sandilands on Saturday.

Sarah’s husband Chris, said: 'She obviously began to panic as anyone with an engagement or wedding ring would understand.'"

Read more HERE.

Beach Hobbyists and Their 'Treasure'

"Most people heading to the seashore bring along sunscreen, colorful towels and a big umbrella. For others, the ultimate beach accessory is a metal detector.

You've probably seen them during your trips to any coast -- sweeping the gadget back and forth along the water, ears covered by big headphones, eyes scanning the sand -- and wondered what exactly they're looking for.

Meet the detectorists, as the community of hobbyists is known."

Read more HERE.

Image Credits: Tim Higginbotham via CNN.com

Hey Tim, if you view the site, leave a message!

Class Ring Returned After 40 Years

"For nearly 40 years, Cathy White believed her beloved 1971 class ring from T.L. Handy High School in Bay City was lost forever — somewhere in the sands at the Bay City State Recreation Area.

White, 57, of Midland was brought to tears Wednesday upon learning the ring had been found and would soon be returned.

'This is a dream come true for me. I still can’t believe it,' White said while slipping the ring on her finger for the first time since she was 17 years old. 'It’s one thing to misplace something and still have hope that you’ll find it, but it was totally different to lose my ring, and know that I would never get it back.'"

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Lauryn Schroeder | Bay City Times

MD Dune Buggy

I got this in my email today. It was an article about fun summer beach gadgets and whatnot. I saw the mention of the R/C Metal Detecting Dune Buggy and was pretty excited. However, apparently the thing was in the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog two summers ago and is no longer available.

Kinda irked my email would send me this awesome link to something I can't buy anymore... because I assure you, I would have.

Catalog listing for the dune buggy HERE.

Ohio Class Ring Found

A nice article by Margaret Hartmann on Jezebel.com about a class ring returned by a fellow hobbyist.

"After three decades, most high school rings wind up ratting around the bottom of a jewelry drawer, but Karen Price Liebisch says she's excited that her class of 1975 ring has been returned 36 years after she lost it at Northwest High School in Ohio.

Liebisch recently received a letter school saying the ring she misplaced a few weeks before graduation had turned up. Earl Corson found it 20 years ago while using a metal director at Brookville Lake in Indiana, but only turned it in recently.

Liebisch said it only fits her pinkie now, but she plans to have it resized so she can wear it. 'It's nice to find a piece of your past like this,' she said. 'It had a lot of good memories attached to it and I am really happy to have it back.'"

NOTE: Image shown is not of actual ring found.
Image Credits: Gtranquillity / Shutterstock