Ring lost in New York lake found by metal detectorists 28 years later
A ring lost in New York's Great Sacandaga Lake during a day on the water was recovered 28 years later by metal detecting hobbyists Michael Siegle and Dylan LaPort. The Red Creek High School Class of 1988 ring was returned to owner Kim Rasbeck after the finders traced her through the school.
The discovery is the kind of unlikely reunion that belongs in our Bizarre News & Florida Man feed: jewelry vanishing during a lake day, then turning up decades later with enough detail left to identify the wearer.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Siegle and Dylan LaPort found a Red Creek High School Class of 1988 ring at Great Sacandaga Lake in New York.
- Owner Kim Rasbeck lost the ring during a day on the water with friends about 28 years earlier.
- After Facebook posts drew no leads, the hobbyists contacted Red Creek High School, where a secretary identified Rasbeck.
- Rasbeck offered to Venmo the cost of shipping; the finders refused payment and simply wanted the ring returned.
- Siegle and LaPort said reuniting people with lost items is the main reason they treasure hunt.
How was the ring lost in New York lake found after 28 years?
Siegle and LaPort were treasure hunting at Great Sacandaga Lake when their metal detector signaled something beneath the surface. LaPort told WRGB-TV they heard the tone, flipped over a rock, and the ring was sitting right there.
The item turned out to be a Red Creek High School ring from the Class of 1988—personal jewelry that had disappeared during a casual day on the water nearly three decades before.
Who found the class ring at Great Sacandaga Lake?
Siegle and LaPort describe themselves as metal detecting hobbyists who regularly search New York waterways and shorelines. For them, the best outcome is not keeping what they find but getting it back to the right person.
"Glad I could get it back to her," Siegle said. "I mean, that's what we do out here. Find rings, give them back, and anything else along the way is just a bonus."
How did the metal detectorists track down the ring's owner?
LaPort posted photos of the ring on Facebook hoping someone would recognize it. When time passed without leads, the pair took a more direct route: they called Red Creek High School.
A secretary quickly identified the owner as former classmate Kim Rasbeck. Rasbeck confirmed she had lost the ring during a lake day with friends 28 years ago—matching the timeline and the Class of 1988 inscription.
What happened when Kim Rasbeck got her ring back?
Rasbeck was so grateful she offered to Venmo the men whatever it cost to mail the ring home. They would not take a dime.
"They're like, no, we just want to get the ring back to you," Rasbeck recalled. The exchange capped a story UPI reported on Aug. 31, 2026—proof that a ring lost in New York can sometimes find its way home long after anyone stopped looking.