Sports

Super Bowl Ring Lost 40 Years Ago in Hawaii Will be Reunited with Owner

Super Bowl Ring Lost 40 Years Ago in Hawaii Will Be Returned to Owner

A Super Bowl ring lost four decades ago off Waikiki will soon be returned to former New York Jets center John Schmitt.

“That that ring was found is a bloody miracle. It really is a miracle, you know,” Schmitt told Hawaii News Now.

The ring slipped off Schmitt’s finger in 1971 while he was taking surf lessons about a quarter mile off Waikiki near the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. He didn’t notice the ring was missing until he got back to shore.

“I got a snorkel and some flippers and I went out and I dove until I was blue,” Schmitt said. “I’m not kidding you. It must have been three hours. I was out there looking. I couldn’t find it anywhere. I was just exhausted. I virtually could not swim or flip my legs anymore. And I just went in broken-hearted.”

Waikiki lifeguard John Ernstberg found the ring and gave it to his wife, Mary, who put it in a box, said Cindy Saffery, the couple’s great niece. The Ernstbergs died in the 1990s and their estate went to Saffery and her husband, Samuel.

The Safferys then recently took it to jeweler Brenda Reichel to see whether it was real.

Reichel, of Carats & Karats Fine Jewelry Antiques & Collectibles, told The Associated Press on Friday that she was able to verify it was authentic. The 14-karat gold ring had diamonds, the trademark of the ringmaker, Schmitt’s No. 52 and his last name and the score of the Super Bowl as well as the AFL championship.

Reichel and the Safferys contacted the Jets and were forwarded to Schmitt, who lives on Long Island. After a few phone messages, they finally talked Wednesday, Reichel said.

“I couldn’t believe it. I mean I honestly couldn’t believe it. I mean 40 years,” Schmitt said.

The Safferys say they are not interested in money. They just want to get it back on Schmitt’s finger. Schmitt is offering to fly the Safferys to New York so he can thank them in person when his ring is returned. A date has not been set.

“It’s a legacy. He put a lot of hard work into this to earn this. This is not something that you just can buy off the street,” Samuel Saffery told KGMB. “This is something that you earn, so for Mr. Schmitt he earned this ring so by right it’ll make me feel good to put it personally back into his hand.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Comments (47)

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  • Ialmostforgot
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:13am

    I’m so happy for him!

    Report Post »  
    • AmeriCat
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:12pm

      By now…it must be bittersweet, with a flooding of sad memories

      of all the years, all the events, all the silent hopes and disappointments…

      where he could not proudly wear “the ring” he WORKED, yes sweated,
      suffered personal physical injuries, lost sleep over…

      to EARN that ring!
      May God bless John Schmitt,
      who was competitive and worked to earn success,
      and has a piece of capital…a phenomenal ring…to now proudly show.

      Report Post »  
  • Whyismynamealwaystaken
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 1:54am

    Oh I forgot to mention. EBAY! Hard work… Ehh… Ebay! Ebay! Ebay! Thank You smith or whatever your name is.

    Whyismynamealwaystaken  
  • damrite1969
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:23am

    Wow…. good story for a change..

    Report Post »  
  • Colmes magiceyeball
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:08am

    Lives in Hawaii= probably a liberal.
    City employee (lifeguard) = most likely a liberal.
    kept what was not theirs. Ring could have been easily returned to rightful owner= absolutely a liberal.

    Report Post »  
    • MauiBoy
      Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:24am

      spoken like a mainlander :)
      I am not libeal !
      I worked on the beach half my life
      most the people that work on the beach do it cause they love it and finding stuff its hard to find everyone !
      when I was younger I often had no clue who sports people were ? many island people are also not into team sports people more into the surf people or other things ?

      Report Post »  
    • MauiBoy
      Posted on September 19, 2011 at 3:26am

      Liberal :) typing is funny :)

      Report Post »  
  • Fitzzz
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 11:09pm

    I can see this as a movie of the week
    Have Sally Fields, giving another Fields performance,lots of emoting, a few tears and than a winning smile(she plays the loving wife)
    Beau Bridges plays the Schmitt
    and a cameo by Patty Duke, (The Beachcomber)

    Report Post »  
  • johnj1952
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 10:23pm

    Ya big deal.

    Report Post » johnj1952  
  • jeffyfreezone
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 9:46pm

    Love this story!

    Report Post »  
  • WeRunDCnotThem
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 9:42pm

    Wow!……The Jets won a Superbowl?

    Report Post » WeRunDCnotThem  
    • Juan Gault
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 6:57pm

      1969 Broadway Joe Namath anf ny Jets won the super bowl,and Joe Guaranteed it before the game.

      !969 and the Miracle Mets won the world series. It was a very good year for new York.

      !969 Neal Armstrong stepped onto the moon, and said,”One small step for man,one giant step for Mankind.”

      Llastly, 1969,there was Woodstock,New York,Summer of Love. And that my friends, was how was ,back in 1969.

      Report Post »  
  • WeRunDCnotThem
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 9:38pm

    Wow!…..The Jets won a Superbowl?

    Report Post » WeRunDCnotThem  
  • eat-more-bacon-USA
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 9:23pm

    Never wear your Super Bowl ring whilst surfing.

    Report Post » eat-more-bacon-USA  
  • Cosmos102
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 8:10pm

    People are so eager to judge. Who knows why the people didn’t try to find the rightful owner immediately. Maybe the wife put it away for safe keeping because she had something urgent to attend to like a wedding, birthday, death, etc., and wanted to get back to it at a later date. Then it was forgotten. There are any number of scenarios. My point is, “who cares?!”. Just be happy that SOMEBODY is giving it back. Other people finding it may have decided to pawn it, or sell it…or strip it of the diamonds and sell the gold band. In my eyes, this is a feel good story, and I am very happy that Schmitt is getting his ring back. Better late than never.

    Report Post » Cosmos102  
  • Midwest Blonde
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 7:09pm

    Let me get this straight – someone found the ring, probably not to long after it was lost, but instead of investigating, they put it away and probably forgot about it for the next [up to] 20+ years. THEN someone inherits it sometime in the 1990s and what – just hung on to it for fun? No investigation either?? This couple has had it in their possession for somewhere between 12 and 21 years… and are only NOW finding the owner.

    Makes me wonder why they bothered, after all the ring has been missing for 40 years. AND could have been returned in the first year (most likely). Hmmm… This is supposed to be a feel-good story? After 40 years, the owner could have been long dead. Luckily he wasn’t. And Luckily this ring had enough identification on it to get it to the real owner. Most lost jewelery doesn’t.,

    Report Post » Midwest Blonde  
    • nellie from tx
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 7:32pm

      I think I would of called the Jets the year it was found. Sad that 40 years went by before something was done.

      Report Post »  
    • 11BravoVet
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 8:14pm

      Talk about being a pessimist!! Jeeeez

      Report Post »  
    • Dabldo
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 10:48pm

      Sad that 40 yrs had to go by. Ima busy guy and it woulda been higher in my todo list……

      Report Post »  
  • roadhog
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 7:08pm

    The Person that gave the Ring Back Was Not a Demicrat.

    Report Post »  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 7:04pm

    nice story.

    Report Post » BurntHills  
  • motherof18
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 7:03pm

    Those football linemen don’t live very long. Maybe he’ll get the ring in time to wear it in his casket.

    Report Post »  
  • idarusskie
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 6:49pm

    well once you actually take it to the jeweler and he says it has the guy’s number on it. well then you got no way to say “ there is no way to find the owner” which one might say if you found a twenty on the street.

    Report Post »  
  • thejackal
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:53pm

    I‘m guessing the Saffery’s are white people? Just saying, they are nice.

    thejackal  
  • TXBODYBUILDER
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:52pm

    At first glance of the headline I thought it would be the ring of a former Dallas Cowboy. It feels like it’s been that long since they have won a SB (hanging head in depression)

    Report Post »  
  • LVMerrily
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:42pm

    My kudos to the Saffreys and their acknowledgement that a lot of hard work went into earning that ring. I will keep my eyes open for the follow-up story.

    Report Post »  
  • rickbob
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:10pm

    There are still a few honest folks around. . .

    Report Post » rickbob  
    • cactusjoe
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:23pm

      Now watch Schmitt flip it on pawn stars,LOL

      Report Post » cactusjoe  
    • sissykatz
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:42pm

      This does make you feel good… But I am wondering why the Aunt and Uncle didn’t do anything about it……How did the neice know that the uncle gave it to the wife and she put it in a box???? If they inherited this in the ‘90’s why so long in returning???

      Don’t get me wrong, I am glad they are doing the Right thing but I am just a detail oriented person and
      I need answers..

      The year that was won was a pivotal game for football.Because it sped up the merger of the Leagues.

      Really glad he is getting it back. Proud of their honesty. Just wondering why they weren’t honest sooner.

      Report Post »  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 6:32pm

      Great to read stories of honest people.
      As for why they didn’t return it sooner – it could be any number of reasons.
      Maybe they don’t live in Hawaii, themselves, so they don’t get there very often.
      Or, perhaps there were tons of boxes to go through, and they just got to that one.
      Or, perhaps they had a change of heart recently.
      Or, my personal thought – they thought it was a cheap “copy” for collectors – there is NO WAY their mom would have had an actual SuperBowl ring, after all. So, they tucked it away in a drawer for a really long time. They just decided to have it checked on a whim, and what do ya know?!?!?!
      .
      .
      .

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • Mahakala
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 6:34pm

      Sounds like her uncle and aunt were not so honest.

      Report Post » Mahakala  
    • mils
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 7:13pm

      why did aunt and uncle keep the ring????
      obviously thought it was “something” as they put it in a special box and put it away..
      …JUST SAYIN HERE FOLKS!!! JUST SAYIN!!!..

      all you do is trot on down to the jewelers…being a lifeguard he was in good shape and could have “run” down to any jewelers..any.way glad Schmitt has the treasured ring back.

      Report Post »  
  • ChristinaP55
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 4:58pm

    What a great story! Good for the Safferys to return it. Only sad thing is his ring was gone for 40 years.

    Report Post »  
  • ddg7
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 4:58pm

    The great neice has a helluva lot more integrity than her aunt and uncle. I hope she has kids because they’ll grow up to be good people like their mom!

    Report Post »  
    • the58thstate
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:41pm

      agree

      Report Post »  
    • one years food ration like glenn says
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 8:51am

      You know what I think ? I think the brought the ring in to get appraised before selling it and the jeweler told them that this is someone else’s ring and belongs to the rightful owner, then they realized they were busted and HAD to go public and return it .. otherwise the jeweler could‘ve went public himself and instead of looking like the sweet innocent returners of the ring they would’ve looked like thieves.. That‘s my thought and i bet I’m right.. Prove me wrong , they probably thought 40 years no one could possibly know or want this thing..

      Report Post » one years food ration like glenn says  
  • ZAP
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 4:57pm

    Politicians,honesty feels good in your heart.God made us that way

    Report Post » ZAP  
    • N37BU6
      Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:17pm

      He also made some people mentally retarded and joined at the head.

      Report Post » N37BU6  
  • WATCHMAN15
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 4:56pm

    There is nothing like a real story about man’s humanity to man to demonstrate real hope.

    Report Post » WATCHMAN15  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on September 17, 2011 at 4:46pm

    Incredible, and glad he got it back after all these years.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
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