Nick Day's parents gave the ring to the couple as a Christmas gift. (Unsplash/Representative pic)
A couple in the United States was recently reunited with their lost engagement ring 21 years after it was accidentally flushed down the toilet.
Nick Day, a resident of Florida, proposed to his wife Shaina with a diamond ring that was soon lost within the plumbing, Fox 59 reported. "She came to me one day and said, 'I think I lost my ring," Mr Nick recalled of the incident, which took place at his mother's house 21 years ago. He added, "She said, 'It was on the counter now it's gone and I think I may have flushed down the toilet on accident.'"
As per the outlet, initially, the couple didn't give up their search and got down and dirty to find the diamond ring. "I climbed down into the septic tank so we could pump every bit of it through a strainer to try to find it. No luck," Shaina Day recalled.
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However, in November, over two decades later, when Mr Nick's mother, Renee, hired a plumber to replace the toilet, he discovered the ring lodged inside. According to NBC News, the plumber then asked Ms Renee if it belonged to Ms Shaina, and after taking a good look, the mother-in-law said that it was indeed hers.
After a good cleaning, Nick Day's parents wrapped up the ring and gave it to the couple as a Christmas gift. "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," Mr Nick recalled. "It was kind of an ugly cry. 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," Ms Shaina added.
The couple said they may now incorporate the diamond ring into a new piece of jewellery, or pass it on for a future generation to enjoy. But they also stated that they learnt a valuable lesson from the incident. "Check your toilets when you lose things," Nick Day said.