May 22nd, 2013
A Virginia woman who accidentally knocked her $22,000 anniversary ring into a flushing toilet is singing the praises of wastewater employees who rescued the diamond keepsake from a mucky demise — four days after it was lost.
It was about 11:30 on a Friday night when Jenna Wolfe, who was visiting relatives, took off her cherished anniversary ring and placed it on the sink’s countertop while she washed her hands. The ring, which features a 2-carat round center stone flanked by smaller round diamonds, was a 10th anniversary gift from her husband.
According to a report by WAVY-TV, Wolfe used a paper towel to clean up some water that had splashed on the countertop, but the wiping motion accidentally knocked her anniversary ring into the flushing commode. In an instant, the very valuable and sentimental ring was gone.
She called a professional plumbing service, but when the company was unable to locate the ring, Wolfe feared the worst.
On Monday, she contacted the city’s Public Works Division, which promptly sent out a crew to help. After setting a debris trap down the water line, the wastewater employees told Wolfe to run water into all the drains of the house and to flush every toilet in an effort to move the ring into the trap.
Even though Monday’s efforts failed to locate and capture the ring, the crew members were back on Tuesday to try again. This time, they succeeded.
In a glowing note to the City of Hampton, Wolfe wrote, “We cannot express enough gratitude to everyone who had a role in recovering this very special ring for us. It’s not only the monetary value of the ring, but also the sentimental value that could not be replaced… Please do anything and everything you can to acknowledge their dedication, honesty and hard work.”
The persistent wastewater team members each received a $25 gift card as part of the city's program to reward employees who perform above and beyond the call of duty.
It was about 11:30 on a Friday night when Jenna Wolfe, who was visiting relatives, took off her cherished anniversary ring and placed it on the sink’s countertop while she washed her hands. The ring, which features a 2-carat round center stone flanked by smaller round diamonds, was a 10th anniversary gift from her husband.
According to a report by WAVY-TV, Wolfe used a paper towel to clean up some water that had splashed on the countertop, but the wiping motion accidentally knocked her anniversary ring into the flushing commode. In an instant, the very valuable and sentimental ring was gone.
She called a professional plumbing service, but when the company was unable to locate the ring, Wolfe feared the worst.
On Monday, she contacted the city’s Public Works Division, which promptly sent out a crew to help. After setting a debris trap down the water line, the wastewater employees told Wolfe to run water into all the drains of the house and to flush every toilet in an effort to move the ring into the trap.
Even though Monday’s efforts failed to locate and capture the ring, the crew members were back on Tuesday to try again. This time, they succeeded.
In a glowing note to the City of Hampton, Wolfe wrote, “We cannot express enough gratitude to everyone who had a role in recovering this very special ring for us. It’s not only the monetary value of the ring, but also the sentimental value that could not be replaced… Please do anything and everything you can to acknowledge their dedication, honesty and hard work.”
The persistent wastewater team members each received a $25 gift card as part of the city's program to reward employees who perform above and beyond the call of duty.
