Missing Class Ring Found 38 Years Later in Lake Vermilion

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A class ring missing in Lake Vermillion for nearly 40 years has been found and returned to its owner.

FOX 21’s Diane Alexander introduces you to the UMD freshman who found the ring and the owner who is now wearing his ring with pride.
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Pulling up to Bass Bay is something Jon and Marilyn Perpich haven’t done in nearly 40 years.

“It looks pretty much the same as it did before,” Marilyn smiled.

“It’s kind of a weird feeling. We haven’t been here since the year after we lost the ring,” said Jon.

It was there where Jon and his bride-to-be were camping with friends in 1977.

They were playing football with a beer can when Jon’s ring slipped from his finger.

“Kind of gave it a good heave and the empty beer can went about five feet and the ring about 50 feet,” said Jon.

He and his friends searched for hours, but came up empty handed.

Fast forward 38 years to 18-year-old Brody Skala picking clams in the same spot.

“I had goggles on and when I was down in there, I went to grab a clam and the ring slid right on to my finger,” said Skala.

It was a discovery so rare that it sparked Skala to do some digging.

“He saw the initials J.P., he saw the 1974, the blue devil, the sapphire, saw it was from Virginia,” said Jon, recalling the steps Skala took to find him.

A trip to the local library is where he found Jon and then made the call.

“I just asked him questions. I was like, ‘Have you ever been to Bass Bay?’ and, ‘Did you graduate from Virginia High School in 1974?’ And then he said, ‘Yes, yes.’” said Skala.

“It was like, this can’t be true. You found my ring,” said Jon. “Most kids would’ve thrown it back in the water, brought it home, put it in the water, forgotten about it. I mean, what a class act.”

“I like to pay it forward and I’d expect the person to do the same for me,” said Skala.

The Perpich’s plan to take Skala and his mom out for a celebratory pizza dinner to rehash the story.