Thirteen years after it was accidentally flushed down a toilet, an anniversary gift was returned, thanks to some 'needle in a haystack' kind of luck and some detective work.
Recently, at a Minnesota water treatment plant - which of all places is located on a road called Diamond Lake - employees were shovelling through detritus when they came across the long-lost diamond ring of Mary Strand, that was originally a 33rd wedding anniversary present from her husband, Dave.
Strand lost the ring one day when she was in the bathroom of her home. The ring slipped off her finger and into the toilet.
“It was swirling around. I truly dove for it, and it went down the drain,” she explained. “I was thinking, ‘He’ll never buy me another ring’ ... I felt really bad because it was a gift.”
Down the toilet it went, and despite the spectacular coincidence of her husband being the owner of a drain and sewer company, it was gone. Then came that fateful day last month when waste plant employees spotted a “sparkle of light” in the debris they were clearing.
Noting the ring’s unique design, they felt that attempting to return the ring wouldn't be a complete and utter wild goose chase. So the Metropolitan Council raised the flag on social media describing their discovery as a needle in a haystack. And, sure enough, word spread and Strand got her ring back - she's now having it reset and ready to wear for her 46-year anniversary with her husband.