Man finds gold ring, returns to owner

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Metal detecting is a giant game of lost and found for Henry "Tuffy" Braithwaite.  Braithwaite spends hours scouring the sands of Virginia Beach almost every day.

But when Braithwaite struck gold last week, he picked up the phone and did the right thing.

Carey Michael, of Smithfield, said he was swimming near 19th street at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront 12 years ago when his class ring slipped off his finger. Made with solid gold, the Class of 1997 Virginia Military Institute ring is worth at least $1,500 dollars in scrap metal.

When Braithwaite dug the ring up in the water off 19th street last week, he knew he had hit the jackpot.

"I thought it was a piece of brass, or a boat shaft, or maybe a napkin wrapper or something," Braithwaite said. "So I dug it out, turned it over and I had to take two nitroglycerin pills."

But instead of scrapping it for its worth, Braithwaite called the alumni association at the Virginia Military Institute to track down Michael.

10 On Your Side was there when the two strangers met for the first time, in the same spot Braithwaite found the ring.

"I've got a five-week-old daughter," Michael told Braithwaite as the two admired the ring. "That can be something she can keep. I'll be buried with the other one."

The other ring is a replacement Michael received years ago.

A Virginia Military Institute spokesperson told 10 On Your Side the ring insurance policy requires an owner to return the replacement if the original ring is found. It is unclear if the policy will be waived, because of the extraordinary circumstances of this case.