Finding my ring..
BEACHCOMBERS ‘ARE REAL GEMS’
A BRIDE-TO-BE who lost her engagement ring was saved when strangers tracked it down using metal detectors.
Angie Shipp was heartbroken after realising the 18-carat blue sapphire and diamond family heirloom had slipped off her finger during a family day at the beach.
In desperation, the 38-year-old contacted charity the National Ring Recovery Service. Volunteer detectorists Graeme Cook and Christine Irvine leapt into action – and within three days they had found the ring.
Angie said it was “miraculous”, adding: “I couldn’t believe it that my prayers had been answered”.
The mum-of-two went on: “When I lost my ring, I honestly thought I’d never see it again. I felt completely sick.”
The ring was given to her by partner Paul, 37, when he proposed to her at Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.
His dad Des had given it to his future wife Sue when the pair got engaged in 1973. Sue died from pancreatic cancer in 2010.
Angie lost it last month on a day out with fiance Paul and their children Evelyn, three, and Isobel, four months, at Yellowcraig Beach in East Lothian.
Marketing manager Angie, from Edinburgh, said Paul was “completely elated” when the ring was found.
She added: “I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of those volunteers and so delighted to have come across a charity which is so devoted to helping people recover sentimental items.
“I really want people to know that even if they lose a ring, it’s certainly not a lost cause because there are people like Graeme and Christine out there to help you. It’s all thanks to them that I got my happy ending.”