A ring lay in the ocean for 56 years and returned to its owner (4 photos)
After 56 years of separation, a Fordham University graduate has found his college ring. This was made possible by the efforts of an electrician, a metal detector, and a careful combing of Mount Sinai Beach in New York. 
Al Distefano saw his favorite ring slip off his finger and disappear into Long Island Sound in May 1969. At that time, the 21-year-old American believed that his personalized gold ring with a garnet was gone forever.
Distefano, now 77, said, “It was a beautiful ring. It was valuable to me. Maybe I should have spent more time looking for it.” 
More than half a century later, Dave Orlowski was combing the beach at Mount Sinai when his metal detector “hit the mark.” Standing in waist-deep water, he found the unique ring.
“I dug and dug and dug,” Orlowski said. “When I pulled it out, I couldn’t believe my eyes: it was huge and in perfect condition.”
The piece, dedicated to the class of 1969, features the school's crest and mascot, a ram, engraved on opposite sides. The inside is engraved "Alfred R. Distefano." 
A 56-year-old electrician added the find to a collection of gold and silver he's collected from Long Island beaches and lakes over the past 25 years. He estimates the find could be worth $2,000. But his wife convinced him otherwise: “She said it was not worth ruining karma and keeping the ring. She asked if I would like my ring back in this situation. That question immediately clarified everything.”
He found a group on the social network “Fordham University Class of 1969” and contacted the administrator. Karen Manning found Distefano’s contact information through a mutual friend.
“David gave me faith in people again, because he went to great lengths to find the owner,” Manning said.
In 1974, Al left New York and moved to Texas. He retired in 2023 after a nearly 50-year career as an oncologist. 
The grandfather of seven was shocked to learn that the ring had been found just a half-mile from the pier where he lost it.
"I thought it was at the bottom of the Sound. I never imagined they'd find it," Distefano said.
He paid $110 for the ring in early 1969, shortly before graduating from college. He couldn't afford a replacement at the time.
Distefano thanked Orlowski and promised to send gifts from Texas that he couldn't find in New York.
"He sent the ring by mail and I got it in less than a week - it's in perfect condition," the pensioner said. "I'm wearing it now, I think I should make up for lost time."
