An unnamed Formula One team-member took an unscheduled dive into Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi at the hands of team-mates in the exuberant aftermath of the final race of the Grand Prix season on 26 November – but the plunge resulted in the loss of an ill-fitting wedding ring.
One of the crew later used scuba gear and an underwater metal detector borrowed from a boat and a sieve, and dived repeatedly in search of the lost item – but with 15cm of silt at the bottom of the marina, it was always going to be a challenge. All he managed to find was a knife.
Then yesterday (30 November), a locally based diver called Johann renewed the search using a bigger metal detector, and after two hours succeeded in locating the missing ring.
The search was captured over the days on social media by various F1 reporters. One, Philip Horton, mentioned that it was a regular occurrence for team-members to be thrown into the marina at the end of the season, win or lose.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had come in third and ninth respectively in the race, but the marque had secured runner-up place in the Constructor’s Championship. The Yas Marina Circuit is located on Yas Island near the UAE capital.
Also on Divernet: Freediver's ring quest highlights lake's plight, Diver returns ring 60 years on, Diver finds wedding-ring lost in 1979, Unexpected ring recovery on GBR, How GoPro helped find lost ring
