The Peterborough Evening Telegraph

Worldwide fame for NY proposal couple

Pair go viral after accidental­ly dropping ring down a drain in New York

- By Joel Lamy joel.lamy@jpimedia.co.uk Twitter: @PTJoelLamy

Being wanted by the New York Police Department is not an ideal way to spend your holiday, but for one couple from the Peterborou­gh area having their faces plastered across social media has seen them become unwitting celebritie­s overnight.

Daniella Anthony and John Drennan had returned home last Sunday despondent despite his magical proposal in Central Park after her engagement ring had fallen down a drain in Times Square a few hours later.

But moments after landing back in the UK where they were planning to get a new ring, they were alerted by a friend to a social media post from the NYPD which had appealed to find the couple after their special ops had incredibly recovered (and cleaned) the expensive piece of jewellery.

“Case closed” they tweeted after Daniella and John came forward to reclaim their prized possession, but the story is just beginning for the pair who have been inundated with media requests since their story became public.

There are even reports that they have been signed up to appear on The Ellen Show in America, a top talk show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.

The couple did speak to the BBC and Sky over the weekend, with the BBC confirming they were from the Peterborou­gh area.

Describing their experience, John said: “We just presumed it was gone. In the end, we had no choice but to walk away and try to enjoy the rest of our weekend.”

The officers “will definitely be getting a mention at the wedding,” he added. “We cannot thank the people of New York or the police enough.”

The couple’s story began on Friday evening. They were in New York to celebrate 10 years since they started dating when John popped the question.

“The time was right. There were autumn leaves everywhere and not many people,” he told the BBC.

The ring, though, was too big and later escaped into the drain in Times Square. The couple called the police and officers from the force were able to jar the grate open with a crowbar before spending two hours searching for it with torches, but with no success.

The inconsolab­le couple then returned home without leaving their names with the NYPD, who were later able to recover and clean the ring.

The social media campaign to identify John and Daniella began on Saturday with a video which has now been viewed more than 8.3 million times of them on their knees searching the drain to recover the ring.

Images of the jewellery and the pair were also published before finally the couple solved the mystery by making contact with the force.

Efforts are now being made to return the ring to the grateful pair. “It’s just been absolutely crazy,” Daniella told Sky News. “I can’t believe they’ve found the ring! It’s incredible.”

‘It’s just been absolutely crazy... I can’t believe they’ve found the ring! It’s incredible.’ Daniella Anthony

 ??  ??
 ?? Photo:NY PD ?? John and Daniel la searching the drain for the missing ring.
Photo:NY PD John and Daniel la searching the drain for the missing ring.
 ?? All photos: NYPD ?? From top: A photo of the ring; CCTV images of John and Daniella.
All photos: NYPD From top: A photo of the ring; CCTV images of John and Daniella.
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? A photo tweeted from the NYPD of John Drennan and Daniella Anthony after the news that the ring had been found
A photo tweeted from the NYPD of John Drennan and Daniella Anthony after the news that the ring had been found

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom