A treasure hunter successfully recovered two Cartier rings, valued at over $10,000 combined, that were lost in the backyard of Olympic gold medalists Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall.
Ed Rogers, a self-described "metal detecting specialist" and member of The Ring Finders network, was contacted by the couple last month. Davis-Woodhall explained that three rings had fallen off her finger while she was tossing a grapefruit into the yard for a deer. The couple managed to find one ring themselves, but two Cartier pieces from the Love collection remained missing.
Rogers arrived at the couple's Kansas home with his metal detector while they hosted a house party. He located the first ring within five minutes and the second approximately 20 minutes later, with guests forming a "cheering section." He did not realize the identity of the couple until nearly two hours after the recovery, when he returned to his home in Kansas City. "I had no idea that she was a gold medalist. I didn't have any idea that he was a gold medalist," Rogers told The Kansas City Star.
Davis-Woodhall, who won Olympic gold in the long jump at the 2024 Paris Games and is the reigning world champion, revealed in an interview with Vogue that she wears her rings and other gold jewelry while competing. Her husband, Hunter Woodhall, claimed Paralympic gold in the men's 400m T62 at the 2024 Paris Games and won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
The couple, both decorated track stars, married in 2022 and continue to train and compete together. Rogers operates as an independent recovery specialist and charges a flat fee for travel costs, with an additional reward-based payment upon successful recovery of lost items. The Woodhalls provided Rogers with a reward, though the amount was not disclosed.
Rogers, who began metal detecting after receiving a detector as a Christmas gift in 2019, described his passion as "dirt fishing," akin to his lifelong love of fishing. "My motivation to serve comes from that satisfying feeling of knowing valuable items are returned to their rightful owner," he added.