Woman Reunites With Her Treasured Anniversary Ring 13 Years After She Lost It In The Toilet

May 26, 2023

People usually treasure gifts from friends, family, and loved ones. Such gifts mean so much and are kept in special places, as they bring joyous memories. Hence, when a Minnesota woman Mary Strand’s husband, David, gifted her a diamond ring for their 33rd wedding anniversary, her joy knew no bounds. Strand treasured the ring as it was meaningful and reminded her of the journey with her beloved husband. 

The beautiful diamond ring was a jeweler’s delight. Its features included 16 small stones surrounding a large diamond. Strand loved the diamond ring, although it didn’t fit her properly. It didn’t matter to her that the ring never fit as she wore it nonetheless, given how meaningful it was to her marriage. However, the fact that the ring never fit Strand properly was the recipe for disaster, as it led to her losing the valuable item. 

On a fateful day in 2010, while Strand was in the bathroom, the ill-fitting ring slipped off her fingers. Sadly, it didn’t fall in a favorable place but inside the toilet and down the drain. Despite Strand’s best efforts, she couldn’t save the ring as it went into the toilet sink. Devastated, she believed it was the last time she would see her treasured anniversary ring. Also, Strand felt her husband would never get her another ring. 

However, on March 31, 2023, 13 years after Strand lost her wedding anniversary ring, a miracle happened as the Metropolitan Council announced that its workers found a ring at one of their wastewater treatment plants. After several attempts at finding the ring’s owner, it turned out to be Strand’s anniversary gift. Read on to find out how Strand lost and found her 33rd wedding anniversary ring. 

Miracles do happen! That’s one way to describe how Strand found her wedding anniversary ring 13 years after she thought she had lost it forever. Describing how she lost the item to Kare 11, Strand revealed that she was in the bathroom one day when the ring slipped off her finger. Rather than falling to the ground, it fell into the toilet and got flushed down the pipe. Narrating the incident, the 71-year-old said:

“It was swirling around, I truly drove for it, and it went down the drain.”

After losing the ring, Strand thought her husband would never buy her another ring. She added, “I felt really bad, because it was a gift.” One would have forgiven Strand for thinking it would be the last time she would ever see her ring. That was the case for 13 years until a fateful day in March 2023, when three wastewater employees found her long-lost ring while fixing a machine. Following the ring’s discovery, the Metropolitan Council made a post on Twitter revealing it found a ring at one of their regional wastewater treatment plants. The post also read: 

“This is a rare occurrence, and we want to return the ring to its owner! Please contact us if you lost a wedding ring down the drain.”

After a week-long search to find the ring’s rightful owner, Strand was eventually identified. She and David went to the Metropolitan Council to retrieve their lost possession. The excited Strand was delighted to have her diamond ring back and remarked that it was still absolutely gorgeous. With her ring back where it belonged, Strand vowed to ensure it never left her sight again. Hopefully, it won’t.

Did you enjoy reading Mary Strand’s story? Do you or your loved ones have a similar experience? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family friends.