Scuba Diver Finds $17,000 Ring in the Sacramento River

When Bill Fitty dropped his late brother’s ring worth $17,000 into the Sacramento River, he reached out to the one man he thought could find the sentimental valuable – Merman Mike.

Mike Pelley has gained a following on YouTube by documenting his adventures diving local waterways near Sacramento. His diving excursions have led him to find sunken iPhones, drones, car engines, guns and jewelry. Dubbed “Merman Mike,” his local celebrity has inspired people to reach out to him when they lose valuable items in the water. In Fitty’s case, it was his only hope.

Pelley agreed to search for the ring when Fitty explained he knew exactly where he dropped it into the Sacramento River. Although the currents were high, Pelley dropped a rock into the river to estimate the rings location and began diving. He even used an underwater metal detector to help him locate the item.

The excursion was looking grim as Pelley was having difficulty maneuvering through the murky bottom of the river. It seemed like all hope was lost until his metal detector began blaring in the water. Merman Mike to the rescue!

Pelley brought the ring to the shore and phoned an ecstatic Fitty to let him know the ring had been located. For his efforts, Pelley was given a $1,500 reward, which will go to a new metal detector for locating more items underwater.

To see how Merman Mike located the lost ring, see the above video. To see more of his adventures underwater in NorCal, check out the Merman Mike YouTube page, or watch this video where he finds a lost drone on Folsom Lake: