Homeless man returns mistakenly donated diamond ring returned to B.C. woman

NANAIMO, B.C. — A British Columbia woman says she is “thrilled” to have a cherished diamond ring back, thanks to the dogged work of a homeless man on Vancouver Island.

Trinda Gajek was visiting Nanaimo last week when she offered a young man all the cash in her wallet, forgetting the contents also included a beloved piece of jewelry.

The Salt Spring Island resident turned to Facebook, hoping someone might be able to track down the ring, and local media caught wind of the story.

A Nanaimo-based television reporter talked to homeless people in the area about the missing jewelry, and Gajek says a man named Raymond Ahlstrom made it his mission to reunite her with the ring.

She says Ahlstrom eventually tracked down the young man Gajek had given the money to and found he had placed the ring in his water bottle to keep it safe.

Gajek says she and Ahlstrom then met up in Nanaimo, where he returned the ring and she gave him a cash reward.

The Canadian Press