Dec. 23 (UPI) -- An Australian man's custom-made gold ring was found by a metal detector hobbyist 13 years after it was accidentally thrown into the ocean.
Justin Ocenasek, a firefighter with the Metropolitan Fire Service in Adelaide, South Australia, said he was throwing a ball with friends at Henley Beach in 2007 when his hand-forged gold graduation ring flew off his finger and into the ocean.
"The odds of me finding this ring were even less than winning the lottery," Ocenasek told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "In no way did I think I was ever going to find it. I couldn't imagine a scenario where it would be found."
Ocenasek was shocked to receive an email from Bruce Phillips, who said he found the ring while using his metal detector in the sand at Henley Beach.
Phillips said he had posted about the discovery on social media, where other users were able to point him toward the long-lost item's owner.
Phillips visited Ocenasek's fire station to return the ring in person.
"It's always rewarding when you can hand something back to someone," Phillips said.
Ocenasek said the ring will be kept in a safe from now on so the precious item won't end up lost again.
