Couple gifted engagement ring lost down toilet 21 years ago for Christmas

A couple who lost their engagement ring more than 20 years ago have been reunited with the diamond after it was found lodged in a toilet.

Nick Day, from Florida, popped the question to his partner Shaina in 2001 with a shiny diamond ring. Unfortunately, the joy soon turned to panic as not long after the proposal Shaina lost her ring while living at Nick's mum's house.

"She came to me one day and said, 'I think I lost my ring," Nick told Fox 59, adding: "She said, 'It was on the counter now it's gone and I think I may have flushed down the toilet on accident.'"

The couple were determined to find the jewellery and Shaina even climbed into the septic tank to try and find it, but they had no luck.

They went on to get married without their original engagement ring, and as the years passed they came to accept that it was gone for good.

However, in November 2022 Nick's mother Renee hired a plumber to replace the toilet - the same one that Shaina had dropped her ring in all those years ago.

While on the job, the plumber tipped the excess water from the old toilet into the bathtub and discovered the diamond ring had been lodged inside.

Fox 13 Tampa Bay

Nick's parents decided to make the most out of the discovery by surprising Nick and Shaina with the ring on Christmas day - after giving it a good clean, of course.

They wrapped up the diamond and placed it in a miniature ceramic toilet as a nod to its home for the last 20 years before handing it over to the delighted couple.

"They brought this out. It was wrapped up in a little Christmas bag so we opened it up and both of us knew what it was," Nick said.

Shaina admitted to doing an 'ugly cry' over being reunited with her ring, saying: "I sat there and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is my ring. This is my ring. I'm wiping my eyes and mascara is going everywhere."

Now that the diamond is back in their possession, Nick and Shaina are considering incorporating it into a new piece of jewellery, or perhaps saving it to pass on to a future generation.

Though their story had a happy ending, it did also teach them a valuable lesson.

"Check your toilets when you lose things," Nick said.