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Mar 31, 2024

A scuba diver found a woman's $9,500 wedding ring after she lost it in a 45

A woman lost her $9,500 wedding ring in Bass Lake in Madera County, California. Michael Pelley, also known as "Merman Mike," retrieved the ring on a scuba diving mission. Pelley shared pictures of the

A woman lost her $9,500 wedding ring in Bass Lake in Madera County, California.

Michael Pelley, also known as "Merman Mike," retrieved the ring on a scuba diving mission.

Pelley shared pictures of the recovered ring on his Instagram page.

A scuba diver recovered a woman's $9,500 wedding ring after she lost it in a California lake.

Michael Pelley — also known as "Merman Mike" on social media — shared footage of the rescue mission on Youtube, where he often posts videos retrieving people's lost items underwater.

In the July 10 video, Jennie of Bakersfield, California, explained that she was swimming with her family at Bass Lake when her wedding ring went missing. A friend of Jennie's mentioned that there were lots of scuba divers who could search for the ring, leading her to discover Pelley.

In the video's caption, Pelley said Bass Lake, located near Yosemite National Park, is 45 feet deep and man-made, meaning his search would be "difficult."

"Almost immediately after I reached the bottom of the lake, I realized how difficult the search was going to be. The silt had immediately clouded out the area and I was in almost zero visibility," Pelley wrote, adding that he also had to take additional safety precautions this time due to the lake's depth.

Pelley said he used an underwater metal detector, a flashlight, and removed his gloves to help him search the bottom of the lake.

"After pulling a couple of sticks and cans out of the thick silt, I finally pulled out what I thought was going to be another bottle top or pull tab, but instead I was looking at a giant diamond! It was the wedding ring! I was beyond excited, especially because I knew how slim the odds of me actually finding it were," he wrote.

Jennie and her family cheered in the video as Pelley resurfaced with the ring.

"It's almost an indescribable kind of like adrenaline rush," Pelley told KMPH. He added that he works on a volunteer basis.

"I find people are beyond kind with their tips, and it all makes it worthwhile," Pelley said. "This is also why I love doing this and why I have absolutely no problem not charging people for it. I feel like I have this huge book of just awesome stories."

Pelley did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Pelley isn't the only person helping couples find lost rings. This month, a South Carolina man planned on proposing to his girlfriend when he dropped the engagement ring in the sand. Luckily, a local teen with a metal detector saved the day.

Read the original article on Insider