A Scuba Diver Recovered a Woman’s Lost $9,500 Wedding Ring at the Bottom of a California Lake
Ever lost something beneath the deep-blue sea? Turns out there’s a scuba diver ready to help you find it.
Michael Pelley, a.k.a. “Merman Mike,” recently recovered a missing $9,500 wedding ring from a California lake, which he shared in a YouTube video posted on July 10, Insider reports. In the post, Jennie of Bakersfield, Calif., explained how she lost her prized piece of jewelry: She was swimming with her family at Bass Lake—located near Yosemite National Park—when her wedding ring disappeared. A friend of hers recommended that she contact a scuba diver, which led her to Pelley.
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The video’s caption explains further how he went about finding the ring in the body of water.
“Almost immediately after I reached the bottom of the lake, I realized how difficult the search was going to be. The silt had immediately clouded out the area and I was in almost zero visibility,” Pelley wrote. He had to use an underwater metal detector and a flashlight to help look through the material in the lake. He also had to remove his gloves to feel around the material within the depths.
“After pulling a couple of sticks and cans out of the thick silt, I finally pulled out what I thought was going to be another bottle top or pull tab, but instead I was looking at a giant diamond! It was the wedding ring! I was beyond excited, especially because I knew how slim the odds of me actually finding it were,” he wrote.
Jennie and her family cheered when Pelley miraculously resurfaced with the ring. He explained to KMPH that he does his work on a volunteer basis, though he does sometimes get some compensation. However, he always receives a thrill from helping people.
“It’s almost an indescribable kind of like adrenaline rush,” Pelley said. “I find people are beyond kind with their tips, and it all makes it worthwhile.” He added, “I have absolutely no problem not charging people for it. I feel like I have this huge book of just awesome stories.”
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