Lost Ring, Found Love: A Proposal Story With a Twist

A Proposal Takes an Unexpected Plunge

What was supposed to be a magical proposal quickly turned into a heart-stopping moment when Trevor Van Camp accidentally dropped an engagement ring from a 118-foot suspension bridge in northern Michigan. The slip happened just seconds after he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Danielle Jenkins, beneath the holiday lights of the SkyBridge at Boyne Mountain Resort.

As Van Camp knelt to open the ring box, nerves took over. The ring slipped from his fingers, fell through the metal grate, and disappeared into the snowy ground far below.

A Desperate Search in the Snow

After the initial shock, the couple refused to give up. With permission from resort staff, they made their way down the mountain and began searching the snow-covered area beneath the bridge. For more than two hours, they combed the ground with metal detectors alongside resort night-shift snowmaking supervisor Pat Harper.

As the night wore on and exhaustion set in, the couple began to lose hope. Around 10 p.m., just as they were preparing to call off the search, Harper’s metal detector suddenly signaled.

A Holiday Miracle Moment

After brushing away snow and dirt, Harper spotted the edge of the ring sticking out of the ground — an almost unbelievable discovery given the height of the fall and the snowy terrain.

The find turned despair into celebration. Jenkins called Harper the hero of the night, saying the experience — though stressful — became a story they’ll cherish forever.

A Story Worth Telling

With the ring safely back on Jenkins’ finger, the couple says they plan to return to Boyne Mountain to finish their walk across the SkyBridge — this time without interruption. What started as a near disaster ended as a reminder that sometimes, the best engagement stories come with a little unexpected drama.