A Virginia woman who accidentally knocked her $22,000 anniversary ring down into an already flushing toilet last week got it back after city "wastewater" employees sifted through debris for four days.
The unidentified woman lives in Richmond, but was reportedly visiting family in Hampton, Va. She told local news stations she had taken the ring off to wash her hands when she noticed water on the countertop. She went to wipe away the water with a paper towel and accidentally swiped the ring into the toilet.
A professional plumbing company was called but was unable to recover the piece of jewelry, so the woman contacted Public Works. The family was told to run water into all the drains in the house and flush everything out into a debris trap that was set up.
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Wastewater employees took the debris back to their headquarters and recovered the ring.
"We cannot express enough gratitude to everyone who had a role in recovering this very special ring to us," the woman wrote to the City of Hampton. "It's not only the monetary value of the ring, but also the sentimental value that could not be replaced… Please do anything and everything you can to acknowledge their dedication, honesty and hard work."
Each of the wastewater employees received a $25 "Delightful Dollars" gift card, part of an awards program offered by the city to employees who go above and beyond.
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In 2011, Terry Claver of Montana
finally found his wife Donna's engagement ring that had fallen into the toilet 36 years earlier. Their toilet was being removed as part of a home-improvement project, and Claver said he smashed it with a sledgehammer to retrieve the ring.
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