The Honeymoon Treasure Hunter of Antigua

When a wedding ring slipped into the Caribbean surf during an Antigua honeymoon, the couple faced a sinking feeling. After failed DIY recovery efforts, they turned to a local expert, proving that even a lost heirloom in a vast ocean can be recovered with the right gear and a calm demeanor.

The search for the 14-karat gold band, purchased at Costco for $1,000, initially seemed futile. After a frantic hour of snorkeling over a 30-square-foot patch of seabed, the couple realized they were hunting at the wrong beach. Turning to social media, they connected with Winston Merchant, a local from St. John who has spent decades recovering lost items for tourists. Merchant operates with a Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II, a piece of equipment that allows him to scan up to 200 feet underwater.

Merchant brings a professional’s precision to the sand, having unearthed roughly 1,000 pieces of jewelry since 1998. While his primary livelihood involves farming black pineapples and marijuana, his metal-detecting side gig serves as a specialized service for travelers in distress. For a flat fee of $200, he spent 90 minutes scanning the ocean floor, eventually retrieving the ring from the surf. The recovery offered more than just the return of a piece of gold; it salvaged the couple’s vacation morale. Merchant, who maintains a 95% success rate, views the work as a way to restore the joy of a trip for those who would otherwise leave with a bitter memory of their loss.