It wasn’t all bad
■ Joseph Cook was combing a
St. Augustine, Fla., beach when he discovered a diamond ring— which a jeweler told him was worth $40,000. Instead of cashing in, Cook put out a call on social media and soon heard back from the ring’s owners—a couple living in Jacksonville. Three weeks later, Cook returned the ring to them in person. “Karma’s always good,” he said. “Every time I return an item, I find something better.” Sure enough, Cook has already unearthed another diamond ring with his metal detector.
■ A Texas family spent five decades searching in vain for their daughter, who was abducted by a babysitter in 1971. Meanwhile, Melissa Highsmith, now 53, had no idea anyone was looking for her. A breakthrough came when the family reviewed DNA evidence on 23andMe with the help of an amateur genealogist. They reached out to Highsmith and proved their identity by referencing a distinctive birthmark on her back. Highsmith finally reunited with her parents in November, and plans to redo her wedding so that they can be in attendance. “She just found out she has a huge family,” sister Rebecca Del Bosque said, “who love her and never stopped looking for her.”
■ On their way home from an anniversary trip, Dane Entze and his wife were enjoying the view at Idaho’s John’s Hole Bridge—the site of their first date—when they spotted a car driving into the river below. While his wife called 911, Entze hopped a barbed-wire fence and plunged into the water. A woman emerged from the car and said she was trying to end her life. “I don’t know who you are, but
I’m here,” Entze responded. “And I love you, and I’m going to help you.” Entze carried the woman ashore, and she was taken to a local hospital, where she’s expected to make a full recovery.