A ring that was found at Bohemian Beach in Cleveland Township caught fire on social media leading back to its owner that lost the ring over three years ago.
Allie Layson goes to Bohemian Beach often to enjoy a swim after work.
On Saturday, she went with her dog and a friend, along with a new pair of goggles, and she patrolled the shallows looking for Petoskey stones.
“I usually just use them to go out and swim around. But I was out sort of scanning for Petoskey stones and I just saw the ring sitting right on top of this little rock. It was probably nine feet out from the shore,” Layson said.
That part of Bohemian Beach is rocky before turning into sand roughly 20-feet from shore. Somehow the ring got caught up in the rocks, where it stayed for three years.
“I was just swimming with the dog and when I picked it up, I was a little bit surprised because I’ve actually never found anything like that when I’ve been swimming,” Layson said. “I picked it up and was looking at the ring and saw that there was a date inscription on the inside, so I immediately knew that it was a wedding band. My initial reaction was that it probably had been lost pretty recently. I had no idea that it had been three years.”
The way it was placed on the rock, it seemed the ring could have lost it the day before.
Layson didn’t know the likelihood of being able to find the owner, but she tried anyway, posting on the “Overheard in Leelanau” Facebook group with over 10,000 members.
The next day, Laura Gruye of Minneapolis, saw it on the page, and immediately knew it was her husband Brett McGraw’s wedding ring.
“I didn’t even read the post, I knew immediately that it was Brett’s ring,” Gruye said. “I couldn’t type fast enough .. (Layson) was so sweet for doing that and getting it back to us.”
McGraw lost the ring playing with his great-nephews almost exactly three years ago.
By the time Gruye saw the post there were already 40-plus comments ranging from good to bad with nearly 600 likes. “Whoever threw it away, threw it away on purpose,” Gruye saw on one post.
Gruye gave the inscription date and it was confirmed, putting an end to an incredible find.
Layson met Gruye’s sister at Buntings in Cedar to make the emotional exchange.
“I was amazed ... It felt really good to stumble across something that could mean so much to someone,” Layson said. “I would hope that if I lost something like that and someone found it, they would reach out. It’s just something that you’d hope someone else would do for you ... it felt pretty good and pretty rewarding. Something pretty simple could mean a lot to someone else.”
From now on, Layson says, she will keep a keen eye out on the lake floor for Petoskey stones along with other items that look odd.
Layson says that “Overheard in Leelanau” is a vital community resource despite a combined wholesome and sometimes toxic reputation.
“I think it is important to have that kind of platform where you can reach out to your community if need be,” Layson said. “It meant the world to them and just to spread a positive influence within the community, whichever way you do that is always beneficial.”
