Subject: Lost wedding ring returned to owner

A New York beachcomber has found a missing wedding ring and found its original owner after searching for her on social media.

Erin Carrazzo lost both her wedding ring and her engagement ring on holiday on New York's Fire Island, and posted later on Facebook that she hoped a "metal detector dude" would find it. Her wish came true when retired fireman Mike Cogan uncovered the rings when running his detector over Robert Moses Beach.

"It was very heavy and inscribed." Cogan says of the wedding ring, local news station NBC 4 New York reports, adding that he turned to Facebook to try to find the owner. "This isn't a kid's ring," he says. "This is platinum and these have to be real diamonds. I knew how empty she had to feel. I don't want anybody to feel like that."

The photos on Facebook were shared over 19,500 times, and eventually reached people who knew Carrazzo in the New York City neighbourhood of Flushing. Ten days later they spoke on the phone and then met in person. "Getting in touch with her was as good as finding the diamonds," says Cogan, who slipped the ring back on Carrazzo's finger on the beach. Meanwhile, Carrazzo can't believe her luck. "I'm amazed how much good there is in the world," she says.