HOUSTON (KTRK/CNN) - Trying to find a lost engagement ring on a beach full of sand is about as close to finding a needle in a haystack as it gets.
One bride-to-be in Texas was desperate to find her ring, and lucky for her, an officer went the extra mile to save the day.
Jessica Haelen and William House are set to walk down the aisle in just seven weeks.
But last week, Haelen’s heart sank as she called her fiance.
"She was crying, short of breath like someone just died," House said "I asked her what happened? She said, 'I lost the ring.' "
Haelen had been at the beach that day and lost her ring in the sand.
She and her friends started searching.
But it wasn't just any ring she'd lost.
"It was my mom's ring," she said. "She passed away when I was sophomore in high school."
As darkness fell, she met officer Derrick Jaradi.
Jaradi gave her a sign of hope.
"He was like, 'I just got engaged today and I really feel like I'd like to help you guys,' " Haelen said.
He left and got his own metal detector and returned.
They scoured the area.
"We found bottle caps and coins but it wasn't it," Haelen said. "Every false beep it was like, ‘oh it has to be it.' "
She went home devastated.
Then at 4:30 a.m. one day she got a text from Jaradi.
"He texted me and I just saw my ring there," she said.
He'd returned to the area and found her ring in the sand.
"He made it happen, he was part of making it happen," she said. "I mean, I know it's a ring that symbolizes a good, incredible promise. But it was just he fact that he went the extra mile and he didn't have to."
Jaradi was even invited to their wedding.
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