In May 1969, a young Fordham University student watched his class ring slip from his finger and disappear into the water near Port Jefferson, New York. More than half a century later, the ring returned to him in a way he never imagined.
The student was Al DiStefano, who went on to become a physician in Texas. For decades, he occasionally thought about the gold ring he had lost just before graduating.
A remarkable find in the water
In 2025, David Orlowski was searching Cedar Beach on Long Island with a metal detector when a signal led him to dig into the sand. He uncovered a Fordham class ring bearing DiStefano’s name and the year 1969.
Instead of selling or keeping the ring, Orlowski made an effort to track down its owner. He reached out through a Fordham alumni Facebook group, where people helped reconnect the discovery with the graduate who had lost it.
The ring travels from New York to Texas
DiStefano, who had worked as an oncologist for decades before retiring, received his long-lost ring in the mail. According to Fordham University’s own report, he even arranged to record the moment of its return.
What might have appeared to be an ordinary piece of old jewelry was much more to its owner. It connected him to his younger years, graduation and memories of college. The ring had survived 56 years underwater and a journey back across the country.
Its return was made possible by one metal detector enthusiast’s decision to search for a person rather than focus on the value of the object.
Editor’s note: The featured image is an illustration, not a verified photograph of the people or animals in this story.
Source: Original reporting.
