Ken Dewerson on the beach hunting for missing items.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Ken Dewerson

A West Kelowna man has been looking for other people's lost rings with his metal detector for decades all in effort to reunite the sentimental items with those who lost them.

Ken Dewerson hopes his finds relieve the feeling of despair people feel when they've lost wedding rings, family heirlooms and other items with emotional attachments.

“I started searching 40 years ago... I always felt good finding things for people, so I always did love finding things for people,” Dewerson said.

He's been using his metal detector to reunite individuals with their lost precious items in the Okanagan, first as a hobby and now in a more organized fashion since he joined the international organization The Ring Finders which is dedicated to reuniting people with their lost valuables.

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Rings that have been in families for decades and passed down have gone missing in lakes, in sand, in the forest and in the snow. Since joining the group more than a decade ago, he's found dozens of lost rings.

“I feel just as good as they do. Probably better than they do,” Dewerson said. “It's not the value. It's the sentiment. You can't replace that.”

Sometimes he's able to locate a ring in five minutes and other times he has spent two days on the hunt and then there are times when he comes up empty.

Dewerson uses a variety of metal detectors, some for searching on land and others for searching in the water and he can go up to five feet deep.

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He's on call with The Ring Finders and depending where the ring was lost he can be on the scene within 20 minutes. The sooner he's able to start the search the better his chances are for recovering the lost jewelry, or in some case lost cell phones, keys and even dental retainers.

Dewerson only charges his clients enough to cover his travel expenses and doesn't ask or expect any other form of compensation.

“All I charge is gas money and then it's up to them on a gratuity basis," he said. "If they have money, that's fine. If they haven't, that's fine too.”

If you're in need of Dewerson's services you can contact him through the The Ring Finders website here.

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