The maintenance employees spent over five hours searching for the stone.
Published on June 18, 2025 11:05AM
Catherine McQueen / Getty Images
Key Takeaways
- While retrieving her luggage from baggage claim at Pittsburgh International Airport, the diamond from April Schmitt's engagement ring slipped out of its setting.
- Schmitt spent 90 minutes looking for the jewel but wasn't able to locate it.
- Airport maintenance workers continued the search for another four hours, eventually retrieving the stone.
It may be one of your biggest fears: losing your engagement ring. After first receiving this sentimental sparkler from your partner, you may find yourself anxiously checking to ensure that it's still on your left hand. And to ensure it stays in tact, you may opt to purchase ring insurance, remove the accessory when you're doing strenuous activities, or meet with an expert to ensure it's sized correctly. However, for April Schmitt, this ever-present anxiety became an unfortunate reality when her 1.25-carat diamond suddenly became loose—and slipped out of its setting.
After spending time in Los Angeles, Schmitt planned to return to her home of Pittsburgh on Thursday, June 12. However, a series of delays pushed her travel plans to the following day: Friday, June 13. Unfortunately, in a nod to the date's unlucky reputation, her bad fortune continued—even after arriving in Pittsburgh. "As I went to retrieve my bag from the carousel, my hand got stuck between the suitcase and the edge of the carousel," she told CBS News. "It pinched my hand, so I pulled my hand back really quickly," she said.
wanderluster / Getty Images
However, once she returned home, she knew something on her hand didn't feel right. "I looked down and my ring was without a diamond," she told CBS News. Rather than the center stone, all she saw were four empty prongs. "It was devastating. I mean, I literally felt sick to my stomach as soon as I realized," she added. She immediately returned to the airport to start searching for the jewel: "I came in and I immediately started looking all around here, on the floor," Schmitt said. Luckily, four airport employees from the maintenance department joined her in her quest. However, after 90 minutes of searching—and even opening up some of the panels on the baggage carousel—the group had yet to find the missing diamond. Schmitt eventually returned home without her diamond.
However, even though she may have give up, the airport employees didn't. The workers continued to search for the diamond for the next four hours, and, eventually, they discovered it. "Two paint sticks taped together, scraping dirt from underneath the carousel, that's how they actually found it," said Tom Riordan, a stationary engineer. "Literally, my jaw dropped. I was ecstatic. I just couldn't get to the airport quickly enough," Schmitt said. Not only was the sparkler significant to Schmitt, who received it from her husband 34 years ago, but the superstitious date was as well: Her husband proposed to her on Friday, March 13—and the two tied the knot on Friday, November 13, 1992.
