Celebration ring!Minnesotan Reunites With Gems After 13 Years Of Flooding

Mary Strand hasn’t given it much thought since she accidentally flushed her diamond ring down the toilet. Now, 13 years later, she and Ring are reunited.

“I couldn’t believe it. It was so exciting … I’m really happy to be back,” Strand told reporters at today’s press conference.

More than 10 years ago, a ring given to Mary by her husband David for their 33rd wedding anniversary was washed away. The Strand family had a drain cleaning business, so on the day Mary lost it, she tried to rescue her jewelry.

“They put up cameras, but they couldn’t see anything,” said Mary. She searched over 200 feet of pipe and found no rings anywhere.

Last month, the ring was found at the Rogers sewage treatment plant less than 1,000 feet from Strand’s home. They first learned of the ring’s discovery from their daughter, who read it on the news.

“[We were] At the meat lottery,” Mary recalled. “And her daughter called me and said, ‘Mom, this is absolutely unbelievable.'”

She was able to reunite with the ring after two jewelers assessed it as a likely match to the one she lost more than a decade ago. The road to the sewage treatment plant remains uncertain, but maintenance manager John Tierney is pleased with the results.

“This is the best of my expectations,” Tierney said. “[People] Who loved each other dearly and accidentally lost the ring, only to have it found and delivered? It was the ideal story. ”

However, this isn’t the first time Mary Strand has lost a ring.

“My mom gave me a gold band at one point,” Mary said. “I used to smoke, but when I was driving at 35W and threw my cigarette out the window, it made a noise.”

Her husband, David, pointed out that losing things is a recurring theme in the family.

“She was looking for her glasses before we got here,” laughs David.

Mary seems to be taking everything in order.

“My whole life is a comedy show,” Mary said with a smile.

Mary plans to have the diamond refitted and the ring resized.