Moab • Everyone knows the sinking feeling of losing something valuable, believing it’s gone forever. It could be a wedding ring, a cherished piece of jewelry or an Apple Watch.
For Michael Van Tassell, this universal experience drives his passion for recovering lost items for people all over Utah, which he shares on his YouTube channel Lost Jewelry Recovery Utah.
“I want to really showcase those happy moments of when somebody’s been so stressed out about losing something and then seeing the relief when it’s returned to them,” Van Tassell said.
Based in Lehi, Van Tassell estimates he’s recovered about $300,000 worth of items over many years. Recently he’s done this through The Ring Finders, a directory of independent metal detecting specialists.
“I found items all over the state — in the rivers, lakes, mountains, snow, grass, sand,” Van Tassell said in his 2023 recap video. “I’ve found lost items from lost loved ones, items that had been lost for over a year or two years, items that were stolen by puppies or lost by a baby — the list goes on.”
Van Tassell operates on a reward-based model, meaning there’s no set fee for his services. He especially doesn’t expect anything if he doesn’t find the item.
“It’s up to the person … whatever you’re willing to contribute,” said Van Tassell, noting it mostly goes back to the cost of equipment and traveling. “It’s a hard situation to be in [to lose something], and I don’t want to have anybody worry about owing me money … it’s not about that for me.”
A ring and five Apple watches
Recently, his dedication to returning valuables to their owners led him to Moab, where he recovered several items from the Mill Creek Canyon swimming hole.
Van Tassell, whose primary job is a cybersecurity specialist, received a call from a man from the United Kingdom who was visiting Moab and had lost a ring given to him by his father in the swimming hole.
Early in the morning on Aug. 18, Vam Tassell made the three-and-half-hour drive. Armed with his underwater metal detector and diving gear, Van Tassell submerged into the pool that was about 10 feet deep, using a hookah dive system — a device that stays on the surface and pumps air to him below — to breathe. Within just 10 minutes, he had located the missing ring.
In the process, he also found five Apple Watches that are all still functioning. Van Tassell’s still trying to find the owners because he was only able to return one of them by seeing the owner’s medical ID information.
“It’s not uncommon — it seems like wherever I go, there’s always a plethora of other lost items,” he said.
(Michael Van Tassell) The Apple Watches that Michael Van Tassell found in the Mill Creek Canyon swimming hole on Aug. 18.
The search was completed before a major flood on Aug. 23, which damaged the Power Dam in Mill Creek Canyon. Debris has accumulated, and hazardous conditions now exist. The public has been advised to exercise caution, especially with pets.
Experience and technique
With 15 years of experience in metal detecting, Van Tassell often receives calls to help find lost items through The Ring Finders, of which he has been a member for a few years. He estimates a 60% to 70% success rate.
Van Tassell began metal detecting as a hobby after college, transitioning from finding coins to other old items and eventually to lost jewelry.
“I was always the metal detecting guy so people would call me up and ask me to relocate their ring or some other lost item,” he said.
Van Tassell explained finding lost items with a metal detector requires understanding the subtleties of different metals and how they interact with the detector, each of which produces a unique signal or “tone.”
For instance, iPhone products are usually going to give off a higher tone, but what makes it especially difficult in Utah is that the ground is highly mineralized.
“When somebody turns on a detector, it starts beeping like there’s something right underneath it, but the soil just has so much material in it that it makes it very hard for them to distinguish between sounds,” he said.
Van Tassell said depending on the item he’s looking for; he knows what range it will likely show up on with his detector.
“I discriminate everything else out and the only things I’m really hearing are those specific target ranges,” he said.
Memorable recoveries
More than anything, Van Tassell likes to return lost items to people because it’s fun and creates a lot of memorable moments.
“You get to meet a lot of people from outside the country or outside the state of Utah,” he said.
Thinking back to some of his favorite recoveries, Van Tassell recalled the many items he’s found.
“I’ve been on every spectrum of the marriage,” Van Tassell said, describing how he’s helped couples recover everything from engagement rings pre-proposal to post-marriage, as well as cherished 25-year-anniversary diamonds.
Van Tassell also recalled a late-night search when he drove to the Midway Ice Castles to find a ring for a couple who had just gotten engaged hours earlier.
Each recovery, which he estimates he achieves once or twice a month, is a story in itself because of the special importance to that particular item.
“They’re all very memorable, but it’s all about the experience,” he said.
This story was first published by The Times-Independent.