Stranger Helps Canton Tornado Victim Recover Precious Items
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CANTON (CBSDFW) - A couple may have lost their home in the deadly tornadoes, but with the help of a complete stranger they were reunited with some irreplaceable items.
Ariel Duke reached out to a tornado recovery group on Facebook for help finding her wedding ring. She hadn't had it long. She and her husband Justin got married in September 2016. She said she knew it was a long shot, but had hoped someone might stumble upon it after their home was leveled by one of the deadly tornadoes that hit the Van Zandt County area on April 29th.
Nathan Wright saw the post, grabbed his metal detector and drove 30 minutes from his home in Emory to see if he could help find it.
"I've always enjoyed metal detecting as a hobby," said Wright. "I've been at it seriously for about the past six years. I just really enjoy going out and finding things."
Wright searched the area where the Dukes' home once stood. He said metal debris, such as nails, screws and wiring, made it difficult. "Right when I was thinking about calling it a day, I started finding some earrings. I thought maybe I was getting close, so I kept at it... I was at the four and half hour point when I bent down, moved some debris and found it underneath the grass."
But Wright didn't stop there. He also found her engagement ring, which she hadn't told him she was missing. "Something was telling me that I could do it and I really needed to," he said.
Wright invited the couple to his home and showed them all that he had found. He had the rings hidden in his pocket.
"I pulled the small band out and she was excited, but you could tell by her reaction that the one she wanted was the other one. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the other one. She barrelled into me and gave me a big hug," said Wright. "To be able to give them something back after the week that they had and the loss they had from this tornado means everything."