Hudson River divers recover lost engagement ring
NEWBURGH, New York (WABC) -- Denise Rivera has her engagement ring back after it slipped off her finger and fell into the Hudson River, thanks to a team of divers who spent hours searching for it.
Rivera lost the ring Tuesday night while eating at Billy Joe's Ribworks in Newburgh. The ring had been given to her by her fiancé, Alfred Gonzalez. According to Rivera, she moved the ring down her finger after something irritated her hand. "Slid it by the knuckle and it just kept going off, went onto the table, rolled off the table, onto the dock and over into the water," she said.
The loss immediately sparked an emotional reaction.
"I'm jumping up, I'm screaming. My sister doesn't know what's going on. And she was like, what? I was like, my ring, my ring!" Rivera said.
A group from Hudson Valley Commercial Diving School was also dining at the restaurant that night. The following morning, dive school operator Christian Dougherty contacted Rivera and offered to help. "I called her up. I said, 'I run an underwater welding school right next door to Billy Joe's. I said, we're in the Hudson River every day. We'll go find it for you,'" Dougherty said.
Divers entered the near pitch-black water and searched the area where the ring was believed to have fallen. Despite their experience, some were doubtful they would locate the small piece of jewelry. "I was just thinking that there was no way we're going to find this little ring in this giant area," diver Michael Savino said.
Diver Kevin Morse described the challenging conditions.
"I was trying very small little patterns back and forth to try to find it with my hands, but couldn't find it," Morse said.
Rivera said the divers remained determined throughout the search.
"They can't even see, they're just feeling around. But he just kept coming to me every 20 minutes, 20 minutes he goes, don't worry about it. I know it's taking time, but don't worry, we're going to find that ring. We're not leaving him till we find that ring," she said.
After four 40-minute dives failed to produce results, the team changed tactics and turned to a bucket to sift through material from the river bottom.
"Luckily, it was only the second bucket, and we swirled it around and it was just mud and garbage and trash. And when I started dumping the bucket out, I saw the ring right there," one of the searchers said.
Rivera said she immediately put the ring back on after it was recovered.
"I couldn't believe it when he showed me the ring and I immediately put it on. I didn't care, it wasn't clean. I just put it right back on and it was just a joy that they saw. My face was just enough for them and that was great. Then, you know, they did it out of it. They kind heart and that's hard to find," she said.
After hours of uncertainty, Rivera said she has reached two conclusions: she does not plan to take the ring off again, and the divers who helped recover it are invited to her wedding.
