Man Dives After Engagement Ring He Dropped In Sarasota Bay: Video

SARASOTA, FL — When Scott Clyne, 35, first met Suzie Tucker about eight years ago through mutual friends while hanging out on an Englewood sandbar, they hit it off right away.

They had a lot in common, as they both enjoy the outdoors and activities like hiking, boating and fishing, he told Patch.

So, when it came time to pop the question, Clyne thought the perfect way to propose would be during a boat ride in Sarasota Bay — until he dropped the engagement ring in the water and dove in after it.

“Embarrassing, hysterical. There are many words to describe it, but we’re definitely never gonna forget that” he said.

And his friends recorded the entire incident. Since then, the video has racked up more than 25,000 views on his Facebook page alone and thousands of views on other social media pages that shared it. (Watch the video below.)

When Tucker, 32, a resident at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, graduated from medical school in June, Clyne, a regional manager with Southwest Florida Home Care, knew the timing was right to propose.

Initially, he planned to ask her to marry him while visiting the Florida Keys at the end of September, but Hurricane Ian thwarted his plans.

Taking the boat out with friends was a fitting back-up plan.

“We have a passion for boating. It’s how we met,” he said. “Honestly, I couldn’t imagine proposing any other way.”

Tucker had no idea the proposal was coming, her fiancé said. “She was very surprised. She had just come off a 24-hour shift (at the hospital) and slept most of the day. That allowed me to create the scene, the sunset boat cruise.”

Their close friends joined them for the outing to Big Pass near Longboat Key and helped him hide a banner that read “Marry me” and rose petals on board. The couple laughed and danced to their favorite song — “Yours” by Russell Dickerson — on the boat’s bow.

“It was as romantic as possible until that drop,” Clyne said.

As he got down on one knee, he fumbled the ring, dropping it in the water — and he didn’t hesitate to immediately jump in after it. Luckily, it was still in its box and floated at the top of the water, allowing him to quickly grab it.

Throughout this, Tucker still didn’t realize a proposal was about to happen.

“She was laughing because she thought I just fell into the water,” Clyne said. “Once she turned around and she saw the banner, there was a look of shock on her face. I think she really realized when I put the ring up in the air and had one of our friends grab it from me. Even as it came together for her, she was still laughing hysterically.”

He’d planned a dinner for about 15 of their closest friends at Marina Jack after the proposal. But because he didn’t have a change of clothes, he attended the dinner soaking wet.

“I don’t think even if I wanted to people would let me forget it,” Clyne said. “It’s definitely been a lot of fun and we’re embracing it.”

Watch his proposal below: