This English couple is rejoicing in the return of the engagement ring that they had presumed to be lost forever after it disappeared down a New York City grate last week.
Just hours after John Brennan successfully proposed to Daniella Anthony in Central Park on the 10th anniversary of their first date, the happy nuptials-to-be were strolling through Time Square when the ring slipped off her finger and fell down a sidewalk vent.
“I tried to tell John it was too big, but he insisted I wear it,” Anthony told BBC.
Brennan reportedly responded by saying: “I told her it was fine. I was just so happy to finally call her my fiancée after all this time.
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He had apparently put a lot of thought into the proposal, and after carrying the ring around in his pocket for two days, he finally got to pop the question when the “time was right” and “there were autumn leaves everywhere and not many people.”
They were on the way back to the hotel, however, when disaster struck.
“I can still visualize the ring,” recalls Drennan. “Bouncing once… bouncing twice and then it was gone.”
WANTED for dropping his fiancée’s ring in @TimesSquareNYC!
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 1, 2018
She said Yes - but he was so excited that he dropped the ring in a grate. Our @NYPDSpecialops officers rescued it & would like to return it to the happy couple. Help us find them? ? call 800-577-TIPS @NYPDTIPS @NYPDMTN pic.twitter.com/tPWg8OE0MQ
The couple spent the next two hours trying to retrieve the ring with the help of passerby, but to no avail. They eventually gave up on finding it and resolved to enjoy the rest of their weekend before their flight home to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.
Upon hearing about the incident, the New York City Police Department later managed to find and clean the ring, but they were unable to track down the couple. The department then posted security footage of the couple peering down the grate to social media and asked their followers for help.
Here’s a photo of the ring our officers recovered (and cleaned!) Call 1-800-577-TIPS or DM @NYPDTips if you know the happy couple so we can return it to them! pic.twitter.com/hzFXxuMVJW
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 1, 2018
After thousands of retweets and international coverage, a friend of the couple contacted them and asked if they were the people featured in the NYPD’s video – and they were delighted to find that they were.
“We could not believe it, we really thought it was gone,” Anthony told BBC. “We don’t use Twitter – we had absolutely no idea this was going on. But we are so happy.”
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“We are so thankful to everyone – especially the New York Police Department and everyone who shared our story,” the couple added.
The NYPD announced the end of their search this weekend with a Twitter post saying: “The (now) happy couple is back in their home country, but thanks to your retweets they heard we were looking for them! We’re making arrangements to get them their ring back. Congratulations!”
Thank you, Twitter. Case closed!
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 2, 2018
Love,
John, Daniella, and the NYPD. pic.twitter.com/G7eB1Ds7vP
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