Ashley Garner seldom removes her wedding band.
Garner, 32, removed her ring and placed it on a chair in her garage three days before to Hurricane Ian wreaking havoc on Florida’s west coast with its horrific winds and storm surges. She stated that she hadn’t used a punching bag for exercise in years.
“Inadvertently, I removed all of my rings, despite the fact that this is not my usual practice. I sleep with them on; I do not remove them “Garner said.
The following day, Fort Myers resident Garner found her ring was stolen. Garner stated that the chair had been moved, and when she went to check for her wedding ring, she only discovered two other rings.
“Obviously, it’s a significant symbol to me, but I had no control over it,” she remarked. “I had no choice but to look for it, and if I did not locate it, that is all I could do.”
According to Garner, in a panic, she, her husband, and three children scoured the front yard outside of the garage.
The family searched for two days throughout Hurricane Ian’s passage from Cuba to Florida.
Garner told herself, “The storm is approaching; if we don’t find it now, it’s gone, and I’m good with that.” “I am not a materialistic individual. I simply accepted it for what it was and then forgot about it.”
Fort Meyers, Florida, tree down in front of Ashley Garner’s residence (Courtesy of Ashley Garner)
Thanks to Ashely Garner
Fort Myers Beach was one of the hardest-hit localities in the path of Hurricane Ian. A 10-foot water surge had flooded the community. After the storm had passed, according to Garner, her family cleaned up their front yard.
Garner told Insider that her missing wedding band was the last thing on her mind when she witnessed the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian in her neighborhood.
“When you came out of our front garage after the devastation, there were literally tree limbs everywhere. You could barely walk. There were trees atop automobiles and roofs “Garner stated.
CoreLogic, a research firm that analyzes storm damage, forecasts that Hurricane Ian would cause between $28 billion and $47 billion in damage to Florida, making it the biggest storm since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Garner reported that her husband discovered a startling find after ten minutes of waste cleanup.
Her misplaced wedding band was discovered in the bushes adjacent to their driveway. Garner’s spouse gave their eldest kid the ring to give to Garner, who was raking tree limbs at the curb.
“I didn’t believe it. I was handed it by him. I screamed and then sat in silence “She stated,
Photograph of the location where Ashley Garner’s wedding ring was discovered (Courtesy of Ashley Garner)
Thanks to Ashley Garner
Garner told Insider that she believed the return of her wedding ring was a sign that things will improve.
“I just praised God for supplying and giving us hope, since it is horrible to watch Fort Myers Beach and all of its homes completely destroyed and lives lost. And the fact that this one thing was brought to my attention gave me confidence that everything would be okay and that we needed to keep moving forward “Garner told Insider.
She stated that she would never again remove her ring, and if it was never found, she would require her husband to purchase her a replacement.