GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – We’ve all been there, a close call with something valuable falling down the drain or worse.
Recently Joe Meyers was on the receiving end of a fateful flush and a free falling wedding ring.
Joe and Angela Meyers have been happily married for four years, with a custom ring on Joe’s finger to prove it.
But a week ago he took that ring off to wash his hands and it took a dive into the now swirling waters of the toilet.
“I went to put it on and I either nicked my finger or I lost the grip and down it went, down the toilet,” said Meyers.
Like a scene from the movie Lord of the Rings, Meyers’ ring was on it’s own course through the Grand Rapids sewer system.
“I didn’t know how she (his wife Angela) was going to react, so I was like, Ang? She was like, what? I just flushed my ring down the toilet,” he said.
Angela responded, “My first reaction was what? Are you serious?”
They couple’s own quest to retrieve the ring proved unsuccessful so they called the Grand Rapids sewer maintenance department.
Angela said the person who answered the phone kept her expectations in check, “He goes, I don’t want to get your hopes up thinking I’m going to bring a ring to you.”
Adam Wohlfert said he was in the area when he heard about the Meyers’ problem.
“A lot of time we will get calls from people losing their keys down a storm drain or a wallet,” said Wohlfert.
When Wohlfert heard about the job, he didn’t have much hope.
“It would be a matter of time before it ends up in a 48 inch sewer pipe and it’s just lost in a pile of dirt,” said Wohlfert.
But he did have an idea, “We’ll block the outgoing pipe with that basket and the ring just kind of rides the flow.”
His plan worked. “I shut the water off and sure enough there it is, just sitting right there.”
Wohlfert was able to get the ring back to it’s owner.
“I said here you go, he was very appreciative, very thankful and then I was on my way,” he said.
Angela said she was beyond thankful to get the ring back, “He went down into the sewer to get a piece of metal that meant nothing to him.”
That would have been the end of this story until Angela finally realized exactly who brought the ring back.
“I said Adam Wohlfert? Oh my God. That is a third cousin of mine,” said Angie.
Family aside, Meyers just wanted to say thank you to the city workers for the time they took just to look.
“I was really overwhelmed by that,” Angela said. “I just couldn’t believe what he did.”
