A metal detectorist managed to find a woman's wedding ring after she lost it while swimming in the sea.
Mum-of-two Rachael Edmonds, 42, was swimming in Morecambe Bay in training for a charity swim across the English Channel next year, when disaster struck.
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Realising she had her wedding and engagement rings on while she was in the water, financial advisor Rachael fumbled to take them off, trying to put them in her dry bag.
But as she was putting them in with her car key, Rachael dropped them both - only managing to catch her engagement ring.
Her special wedding ring sank to the sea bed, with Rachael, in her wetsuit trying to dive under the water to find it - to no avail.
After searching all weekend in the cold and rain for her ring with friends and her husband, Jim, Matthew Hepworth, a charge nurse at Royal Lancaster Infirmary and keen metal detectorist, got in touch with Rachael through a friend.
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He came armed with his metal detector, meeting Rachael at the beach, and within five minutes, he had managed to find it and return it to a beaming Rachael.
She said she was absolutely astonished and couldn't be more grateful to see that Matt had found her ring.
Speaking to LADbible, Rachael said: "I couldn't believe it, I was amazed. We FaceTimed my friend the jeweller, and she couldn't believe it either. Her son came running down the stairs cheering."
Rachael continued: "I FaceTimed my husband, and he was laid on the sofa. I told him 'I've found my ring', and his face dropped, and he just went 'no way'."
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Matt's mum even turned up and cried because she was so proud.
Matt told LADbible: "High tide was an hour away so the pressure was on. She had a rough idea where it was dropped but it's not an exact science. I found it in five minutes, I couldn't believe it.
"Detected it then saw the edge of the ring sticking out of the mud. Such a great feeling to return a lost piece of jewellery.
"I calmly said to Rachael I'd found it. She was about 10 metres away from me so wasn't aware I had it in my hand. She couldn't believe it. It was an emotional time.
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"I'm well pleased. It was a great feeling to find her wedding ring."
Rachael said that her and her husband Jim have been married for 19 years. The ring itself was designed by her and her best friend, who is a jeweller - it's platinum with 22 diamonds.
Since the ring brought them together, Rachael has met Matt's wife and son, and took him round a massive haul of beer and wine to say thank you for finding her treasured wedding ring.
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Matt's love for metal detecting started more than 30 years ago and he's now a member of the Lune Valley metal detecting club.
His hobby has seen him return many pieces of jewellery before, as well as unearth Bronze Age hoards and a Stone Age human cremation.
Featured Image Credit: Rachael Edmonds/Matt HepworthTopics: Daily Ladness, Interesting