A sparkling 1.32-carat ring feared lost forever has been reunited with its owner in a good Samaritan act that has restored Lee Biddle’s faith in humanity.
The Peregian Springs resident knew she wore the ring – purchased while holidaying in Singapore – to dinner at Coolum Beach on April 16.
But it wasn’t until the next morning when she was getting ready to go out that she noticed her beloved white diamond ring was missing.
“We went to dinner at Coolum Surf Club and when I got home that night I took off my jewellery as usual, then next morning … I went to put my ring on and it wasn’t there,” Ms Biddle said.
“I thought ‘I haven’t got time, I have to leave so I will have a look when I get home’.
“I never thought it was lost, I just thought it may have fallen in the carpet.”
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When she returned home later that day, Ms Biddle searched her home and car for any sign of the ring.
She said it had become loose on her finger recently so she then thought it may have fallen off while she was out the night before.
“The next day my husband and I went back to Coolum to have a look but we couldn’t find it,” she said.
“I said if somebody had found it that they probably wouldn’t hand it in (to police) but we thought we would go to the police station and report it missing.”
Little did Ms Biddle know a 24-year-old woman from Ninderry had found the ring on April 18 while out for her morning coffee.
Kate Lisett said she did not hesitate to hand the ring into police when her eye caught sight of something sparkling in the grass at Tickle Park.
“I was walking along the footpath back to my car and I saw this ring shining in the grass,” she said.
“I thought if it was mine and I was missing it, I would hope somebody would hand it in too.”
Coolum Beach Station officer in charge Acting Senior Sergeant Melinda Pyke commended Ms Lisett for her actions for handing in the ring.
“She did the right thing and brought it to the police station and we’ve looked at it and thought if those white stones are real diamonds, it’s a very expensive ring,” she said.
“There was no CCTV footage and we just hope the owner would come forward.”
Acting Sen-Sgt Pyke said when Ms Biddle arrived at the police station on April 19 to report the missing item she was “pretty shaken up”.
“When we asked if she had a photo and it matched the ring we had, it was so lovely and (Ms Biddle) cried.
“To be able to reunite the property with the owner was really good.”
Ms Biddle has since met with Ms Lisett to thank her in person for handing the ring into police.
“I never thought in a million years someone would hand it in,” Ms Biddle said.
“It has restored my faith in human nature.”
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