Former Marine Finds N.H. Woman’s Lost Diamond Ring in Frozen Trash Pile
At a New Hampshire dump site, a sharp-eyed worker spotted a shimmering 1.5-carat diamond ring buried in piles of frozen trash. The valuable discovery came after its owner called to report accidentally throwing it away on garbage day.
Don Tretler, a recycling worker and former Marine, made the amazing find. His military background came in handy during this unusual search.
“I’m good at this stuff. When I was in the service, we used to have these things called foreign object damage walks on the runways. And, you would have to look for the most minute things in case something got lost, because otherwise it could get sucked into the intake of the airplanes, and I, I was really good at finding things,” said Tretler to WMUR-TV.
The search began after Leanne Hettinger’s panicked phone call. Workers endured freezing temperatures while digging through mountains of garbage.
Tretler’s sharp eye, developed from checking military runways, made all the difference. What seemed like a lost cause became reality thanks to his trained vision.
The crew dug through frozen garbage piles in brutal winter weather. Ice-covered trash made searching twice as difficult.
While workers often look for missing items, this recovery was special. Most lost things never turn up in the massive piles of garbage.
The site receives tons of new trash weekly. Finding tiny valuables needs both luck and expertise.
Nobody expected military training would help rescue a precious ring. Life takes unexpected turns.
At the end of the day, the ring was back with its rightful owner – a small miracle rescued from winter’s icy grasp.