British-born Barbados champion freediver Alex Davis was using a newly acquired metal detector to scour the seabed off his adopted Caribbean island when the instrument started emitting the beeps that could indicate the presence of precious metal.
Hurricane Beryl had swept layers of sand off underwater substrate during the summer, but so far what Davis had found using the detector had been mainly coins, bottle-tops and lead weights.
Digging beneath dead coral and sand in 2m of water off Miami Beach on the south coast, the freediver came up with a barely tarnished gold ring with a stag emblem and inset dark red stone. It was engraved with the words ‘McMaster University 1965' and the initials ‘FMP’.
Davis, who is originally from Perrnaporth, Cornwall, has set 11 national freediving records in Barbados, runs what he says was the island’s first freediving school and has worked as an AIDA master instructor and spearfishing guide since 2013. His current Constant Weight (CWT) record dive was to 92m, and he also holds the 81m national Free Immersion (FIM) record.
Later that day he contacted staff at the Canadian university in Hamilton, Ontario to explain what he had found. A search of their archives resulted in a name to match the initials on the ring: Frederick Morgan Perigo.
When Davis contacted Perigo, the astonished older man confirmed that he had been given the signet ring to mark his graduation from McMaster’s science faculty back in 1965. He had worn it for 12 years and had been upset to lose it during a visit to Barbados with his wife and children.
“One day I took my younger son and waded into the ocean,” said Perigo. “He was knocked over by a wave, so I reached to grab hold of him. He pulled on my hand and my Mac alumnus ring came off. We searched for it but were unsuccessful.” He had not expected to see his possession again.
Knowing that a special occasion was coming up, Davis immediately shipped the jewellery to Perigo and it arrived with a day to spare. “What a wonderful unexpected 83rd birthday present!” was the owner’s delighted reaction.
Also on Divernet: DIVER RETURNS RING 60 YEARS ON, DIVER FINDS WEDDING-RING LOST IN 1979, DIVER RECOVERS RING – TO MERCEDES F1 TEAM’S RELIEF
