Lost jewellery at the beach? You probably did this, says treasure hunter Mike

Two summers ago, my husband was digging a sea pool for our kids when he struck treasure: a gold wedding ring buried four feet down. We posted it on our local Facebook page and, suddenly, we were besieged by a steady stream of hopefuls – among them, the ring’s rightful owner, who came clutching a photo of himself wearing the ring in 2003, the year he’d lost it.

We knew only too well the sting of losing something precious. Ten years ago, just three weeks after our ceremony, I lost my own wedding ring while surfing in Coffs Harbour. We combed the shoreline for weeks, but never saw it again.

Mike Turner runs the Ring Rescues and Beach Detecting South Coast.Credit: Courtesy of Mike Turner

Sea, sand, bushland – Australian terrain isn’t kind to jewellery. And who among us hasn’t emerged from an outdoorsy adventure lighter than at its beginning? The loss of a sentimentally charged piece of jewellery – or even just car keys stowed in a pocket – can be devastating, but it’s now become an opportunity for a growing army of treasure hunters who call themselves “detectorists”.

If you lose a ring between Sydney and Jervis Bay – and are intent on finding it – you’re likely, sooner or later, to hear the name of 59-year-old Mike Turner, who runs Ring Rescues and Beach Detecting South Coast. During the week, he works in admin; at weekends, he answers emergency callouts. “People take off their jewellery so they don’t lose it in the water, but then lose it on the beach,” he tells me.

His passion began age nine, gold-detecting in Ballarat with his uncle. Almost five decades later, he bought himself a metal detector for his birthday and took to the local beaches. “One afternoon, I got a call from someone who’d lost their engagement ring,” he says. “I went down to Hyams Beach and found it within five minutes. I was hooked.”

His Facebook community now has more than 1300 members nationwide. “We have a good recovery rate,” he says. His standout finds include a $25,000 engagement ring lost moments after a beachfront proposal (“He never checked her ring size”).

A typical fee is $50 for a call-out, though many insist on paying more. And if Mike can’t get to you, he’ll match you with a local detectorist. Metal-detecting is having its golden hour and “treasure-hunter influencers” are hitting pay dirt.

Bondi Treasure Hunter, aka Leigh Webber (1.2 million YouTube subscribers), retrieves everything from diamond rings to “bucketloads of ammo” from swimming holes. His favourite tool? A fishing magnet he developed and now sells. Some, such as “Prospector Nic” (57,000 YouTube subscribers) and “Aquachigger” (1.15 million), prefer pseudonyms. Many keep their exact locations secret to ward off competition.

Retired federal agent turned reality-TV favourite Camille Chicheportiche, 51 – of TV show The Traitors – documents her finds on her YouTube channel, 10 Targets Detecting. She’s unearthed everything from historical artefacts to a $16,000 ring lost by an elderly woman while throwing a ball for her dog. “The hobby’s growing,” she says, “especially among women.”

For most hunters, it seems, two things are key: the thrill of the find – and the quiet belief that even the rockiest patch of earth can still unearth a miracle.

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