Call it miracle at the landfill: A woman accidentally throws away her wedding ring and other sentimental jewelry. That's when trash collectors go above and beyond the call of duty finding the rings in a mountain of trash.
"We thought it was hopeless; we really did," said Jean Fernandez.
For many people, it could have been. A few days ago, Jean Fernandez misplaced her wedding band, engagement ring and her grandfathers 100-year-old ring. "My favorite rings that mean the most to me."
It wasn't till the next day, Jean realized she had thrown them in the trash. "So, we said, 'Well, are we going to do anything?' Frank got on the phone," Jean said.
"I called Solid Waste and explained my situation," said her husband, Frank Fernandez. "And they said get down here."
"We stopped doing what we were doing and attended to her," said Solid Waste Authority worker Christopher.
The players in this story: You've got Jean, who lost her rings; her hubby, who called Solid Waste for help; and the heroes, Guillermo and Christopher, who for hours sifted though garbage.
Reporter asked, "Did you think you would find it?"
Guillermo replied, "No."
"When it was dumped put of the truck, it had to be 15/20 feet high and in a huge pile, and it just looked overwhelming."
Frank said, "I was about ready to say goodbye."
But then the miracle! Two hours later, from the garbage, came treasure. "I got chills all over my body. And she started crying, and I patted her on the back, and said, 'You should be laughing,'" said Guillermo.
"Nobody can believe it," Jean said. Now, all she wants to do is say thanks to her heroes. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart; words seem inadequate."
A happy ending for Jean and Frank.
But why did Guillermo and Christopher do it? "My father taught me to do good, and you will be rewarded later," said Guillermo.
Christopher added, "We always try to help out people as much as we can."
The Solid Waste Authority does want us to let you know that finding rings like this is rare. But, if you think you've lost something, they say, time is of the essence. So, call early and they might be able to help you, too.
