Beach Cleanup Volunteers Find Lost Wedding Ring but Don’t Plan to Track Down Its Owner

An environmental organisation in New Jersey has recently shared some of the more unusual items collected during a beach cleanup, including a lost engagement ring that may never find its owner. This ring was discovered amid a variety of debris during Clean Ocean Action’s spring beach cleanup event earlier this year.

The incident unfolded on the beaches of Seaside Park, where a mother and son team from Manahawkin stumbled upon the ring. After inspecting the piece of jewellery, they concluded it was a low-cost band made from inexpensive metal and made the decision to discard it along with other trash. Evan Leong, a spokesperson for Clean Ocean Action, explained that the ring was found near Second Avenue and described the volunteers’ thinking behind throwing it away.

“It was a cheap band which they believed was made of relatively inexpensive metal, so it was discarded,” Leong told reporters. Unfortunately for the ring’s previous owner, it now remains unclear who they are and whether they will ever be reunited with the lost item.

The spring beach cleanup was part of a long-standing initiative by Clean Ocean Action, which has been dedicated to removing litter from Jersey Shore beaches for over 40 years. According to the organisation’s latest Beach Sweeps Report, an impressive total of 170,000 pieces of debris were collected from 77 shoreline locations during the 2025 cleanups. While a staggering 83% of the items retrieved consisted of various plastics, several curious finds were logged, including cross-country skis and even a quart of milk.

Each year, volunteers participate in these clean-up events and contribute to keeping the beaches pristine. Clean Ocean Action’s executive director, Cindy Zipf, highlighted the fun aspect of these efforts, stating that participants could keep whatever they found during the clean-up. This setup has often been likened to a “finders-keepers scavenger hunt.”

In previous clean-ups, the organisation has successfully returned lost items to their rightful owners, often after extensive natural disasters. Following Superstorm Sandy in 2012, a significant number of personal belongings found their way onto New Jersey’s beaches after being displaced by the storm. Volunteers worked diligently to trace the owners of these items, reuniting families with precious mementoes left in the wake of the disaster.

There have also been recent success stories that showcase the power of community and the dedication of the volunteers involved in these cleanup efforts. In October 2019, for instance, a teenage volunteer found an engagement ring during a clean-up event in Asbury Park, which had been missing for over two years. Thanks to a unique inscription on the band, the owner was eventually located, and the ring was returned.

While the lost engagement ring from this year’s clean-up likely won’t have a similar happy ending, it serves to underscore the importance of these environmental efforts and the myriad of items that wash up on our shores. The grim reality of litter — especially plastic — is something that local communities grapple with regularly.

Clean Ocean Action’s initiatives remind beachgoers not only of the need to keep our coastal environments clean but also of the unexpected items that can be discovered during such environmental stewardship activities. With summer upon us, the organisation is calling on individuals to be more mindful of their waste to lessen the impact on marine life as well as to keep beaches enjoyable for everyone.

As New Jersey’s beautiful coastline continues to attract visitors, initiatives like Clean Ocean Action’s beach cleanups are vital in ensuring that the natural environment is preserved for generations to come. By participating in these efforts, volunteers not only contribute to a cleaner shoreline but also engage in the larger conversation about environmental responsibility and the impact of human activity on fragile ecosystems.