A Texas woman vacationing in Colorado lost her engagement ring in a snowbank and thought she'd never see it again.
But a Denver-area TV station's coverage of the case — plus a man with a metal detector — led to the recovery of the ring.
Houston resident Paulina Morales and her fiance, Deven Maraj, who got engaged in August 2020, were playing outside in the snow in Breckenridge, Colorado, in early February when Maraj playfully tossed Morales in a pile of snow. Soon after, the gloveless Morales realized her wedding ring had slipped off her finger.
Morales, Maraj and Morales' family searched for the ring over several days, even coming back with a metal detector, as seen below. But they weren't able to find the ring and went back to Texas empty-handed.
That's when CBS4 Mountain Newsroom reporter Spencer Wilson stepped in and reported on the story, and he mentioned that the couple was offering a $500 reward to anyone who could find and return the ring.
While Wilson himself went out with a blow torch and melted snow in the spot where Morales lost her ring, he wasn't able to find it. However, Tony Pizzamigalo, an area resident with a metal detector, later went out to the same location and was able to pick up a signal on the second try. The ring was tucked into some packed snow.
Take a look at the full CBS4 Denver report below.
When Wilson told Morales that her ring had been found, she was ecstatic.
"I've got chills! I've got chills!" she said.
Morales said the ring-finder, Pizzamigalo, was invited to the wedding.
"This whole experience was unforgettable, every single thing happens for a reason," Morales wrote on her Facebook page. "If I could go back, I would not change a thing about it. So grateful for the people I met, for the places and scenic views I got to see just because of this ring. Definitely a story to tell for years to come."
Pizzamigalo did accept the $500 reward but is going to donate it to the Summit County Rescue group.
And on Feb. 22, Wilson tweeted a photo of Morales wearing her newly returned ring, bringing a happy ending to this tale of lost jewelry.
In case you were waiting for this picture (like I was) here it is!!
The engagement ring is back to it’s owner! Who says news cant have a happy ending?? @CBSDenver
Rewatch the story here: https://t.co/S63A0IALzN pic.twitter.com/fYINbSJEJL
— Spencer Wilson (@Spencer_WNews) February 23, 2022
Have you ever lost a significant object as this couple did? Were you able to find it again?
This story was originally published by Anna Weaver on Simplemost.com.
