Diver retrieves 40th wedding ring from Lake Lanier

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A veteran diver who specializes in recovering items lost in Lake Lanier said he found his 40th wedding ring this week.

“It’s a tremendous honor for me and a privilege to come back with something that is sentimental to them,” Richard Pickering told Channel 2′s Tom Regan.

Pickering, who owns Lanier Recovery Divers, said about a dozen years ago, a buddy asked him to find an Apple Watch he lost in the lake. He found it, and word quickly spread.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

“From there, people just started asking me to dive for more stuff,” said Pickering.

The “stuff” included drones, cellphones, rings, bracelets, and more.

He posts his findings on his YouTube channel.

Just last weekend he retrieved an iPhone 15.

A man accidentally dropped it in the lake while out with his family. Pickering found it and didn’t charge the family.

“It was still working after he brought it out of the water. After about 30 hours later, he held it up and my phone was still lit up. He definitely saved the day.” Brian Tumlin said.

Another man said Pickering found his wedding ring in the lake about two years ago.

“He pops up with it, and he’s like ‘Hey man, here’s your ring’. It was just awesome because that was like irreplaceable,” Ken Letsch said.

When he’s not searching for lost personal items, Pickering and his team of volunteers called “Emergency Dive Response Team” assist in recovering drowning victims.

“It’s very difficult, especially the psychological impact it has on you,” Pickering said.

He spoke of one of his most memorable finds - a man who lost his expensive dentures in the lake while eating chicken wings.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Judge arrested at nightclub should be removed for previous ethics charges, GA Supreme Court rules
• Woman dies the following day after experiencing medical emergency at GA store
• New video shows piles of undelivered mail from Palmetto sorting facility as delays continue

“As he took the chicken wing out and threw it into the lake, the dentures went with it. It turns out it was in 65 feet of water. I found it, and he was happy. He’s still wearing it today,” Pickering said.

Pickering said he uses bright lights and sometimes an underwater metal detector wand to locate lost items.

“When you hand something back to someone that was missing, they get a tremendous smile on their face and are so happy. It’s just a great opportunity to give back to the community,” Pickering said.

The Emergency Dive Team is a nonprofit that relies on donations for its operation. For more information about donating, you can check their website.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Family of woman killed at Buckhead club faces accused gunman in court

©2024 Cox Media Group