Sewer Line Workers Find Lost Wedding Ring

Photo: Bob and Kathy Darling with USD’s Rob Shenk and Rich Czapkay. Courtesy: USD
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Union Sanitary District (USD) Collection Services workers have had a banner year in the jewelry rescue department. For the second time in nine months, they have recovered a treasured ring thought to be lost forever in a sewer line.

Recently, Kathy Darling of Fremont watched as her wedding ring swirled down her toilet and out of sight. Taking a break from housecleaning, she had removed her ring and set it on top of a tissue box for safekeeping, but forgot about it long enough to use tissues, flush them, and realize that the ring was traveling with them.

A plumber tried without luck to recover the ring. That’s when Kathy called USD Collection Services Supervisor Rich Czapkay, who dispatched Collection System Workers Rob Shenk and Steve Bullis to inspect USD’s sewer main in her street. Neighbors gathered to watch as Rob and Steve flushed the line and examined the debris that washed back. “They were both very determined to find that ring. It was a miracle when they came to my front door and Rob took the ring from his pocket,” wrote Kathy in a thank you letter to the District. “I couldn’t stop hugging them.”

“I thought she was going to faint when I showed her the ring,” said Rob. “I wondered if I was going to have to open her screen door and catch her.” Kathy and her husband Bob offered the workers a reward, which they declined. “Just seeing the looks on their faces was reward enough,” said Rob.

Kathy and Bob took home-baked cookies and cakes to a 7:00 a.m. crew meeting for the entire work group. Kathy topped a cake with a fake diamond ring, and read her thank you letter aloud to everyone’s applause. “I never, ever thought they would find the ring,” said Kathy. “They brought a perfect conclusion to a traumatic situation.”

Union Sanitary District serves Fremont, Newark, and Union City. The District maintains over 800 miles of underground pipeline in its service area.