Ring found, returned to Indiana man who traveled to Florida to restore energy

OCALA, Fla. (WKMG) The power of social media helped a Duke Energy worker during the days of darkness after Hurricane Irma.

“My coworker was looking down and picked it up. He thought it was like a piece of wire or something,” James Cook said.

Cook, who is a lineman for Duke Energy, calls Ocala home, but it was a ring he found in Hernando County that turned his work post-Irma into a game of lost and found.

“He just happened to see it and it was in great shape,” Cook said of his coworker. “It wasn’t damaged or anything.”

Mixed in all the hurricane supplies, Cook found a wedding band. He had his wife Patty help find the owner.

“He said he and a coworker found a wedding ring, and he said, ‘I need you to put it on Facebook,” Patty Cook said.

Patty said in just hours her post was shared hundreds of times. Six hours later she had a lead.

“They started sending me pictures of it, and lo and behold it absolutely was Mr. and Mrs. Michael White’s wedding ring,” Patty said.

It was a match that was meant to be. The ring was worn by lineman Michael White, who told News 6 he traveled to Florida to help restore power and was on his way back home to see his wife in Indiana when he had to stop.

“I was like, ‘Man, something doesn’t feel right,’ and my ring was gone. I started panicking because that’s your wedding ring,” White said.

Patty Cook said finding the ring really hit home for her and her family.

“It’s been so stressful,” she said. “I’m just really happy we can get it back to them.”

“Thank you very much,” White said. “I mean, it’s nice to know there’s good, decent people out there.”