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Last year Lexi and CJ Jorden-Ames decided to hire a photographer for a cliff-side photoshoot to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They even took the 30-foot leap into the ocean to get some extra special shots.
CJ said “It was probably 3 to 4-foot seas and at that specific location, I don’t know if you really want to get in. But we’re strong swimmers, and we’re adventurers.”
Golng for a swim CJ pulled himself onto the lava rocks, and he lost his wedding band.
“I reached up on the rock and it literally felt like somebody pulled it right off my finger,” he said.
They searched for over a month — even using a metal detector to no avail. Combing through social media didn’t work either until another couple took the same plunge.
“Just a normal day in the ocean and I decided to jump one of the cliffs down there,” Big Island resident Ryan Priest said. “When I was climbing out of the ocean I noticed that there was a ring in the lava rocks.” Ryan and his wife own a photography company and posted their picture online and even made a Tik Tok video trying to find the owner. After a year...no luck.
Just last week, Ronning found herself perusing TikTok videos on Ryan and Corrine’s photography page. She came across something she recognized.
“I thought there’s no possible way that this could be the ring. Sure enough, I reached out,” Ronning said and called Lexi.
She orchestrated a meeting with Ryan and Corinne on the beach.
“We looked at a photo of them so we knew what they looked like,” Ryan said. “When we saw them walking along the beach I started to get my phone out. I started to take selfies of Corinne and I. After taking some selfies they were walking past, and I go excuse me I’m really bad at taking selfies do you mind taking a photo of us at this beautiful ocean?”
Once CJ finished taking the pictures, Ryan reached down and told CJ that he had dropped something. While grabbing a hand full of sand, Ryan revealed the lost ring. CJ in disbelief wrapped his arms around Ryan for a big hug.
“It goes to show just that there is so much good with social media,” Corinne said.