14 DAY TRIAL // A man has returned a college class ring to its owner almost 40 years after the piece of jewelry was lost. Diver Brian Tovin was looking for fossils in South Carolina's Cooper River when he came upon the ring.
According to The Post-Courier, Dr. Tovin was scouring the bottom for prehistoric fossils when he found the jewel. He noticed that it was engraved with the College of Charleston marks.
The initials RLP were set on the ring and, after checking with the school, Tovin found that it belonged to Robert L. Phillips of Moncks Corner. The 1974 graduate lost it during a boat ride with his wife and son.
“It means a lot to our family. [...] I will guard that thing with my life,” Robert's son, Eric Phillips, says.
His father was helping him get off a pop top ring from his finger when the college ring came loose. The jewel comes at a different time for their family, as Robert has been diagnosed with cancer.