Patrick Mohr lost his wedding ring in a Tuscan river. The strangers who helped recover it could have put it in the mail. Instead, three Italian friends traveled to Ireland and turned up dressed as hobbits.
Their real-life ring quest began during a family holiday in July. Mohr was swimming when his wedding band slipped away. Nearby were Edoardo Poggi, Filippo Palagi and Nicola Malloggi, friends from Borgo a Mozzano who knew the river.
The search continued after the family left
The initial search failed, but they exchanged numbers before the family moved on. Local newspaper Il Tirreno reported on October 4 that the friends returned with swimming goggles and eventually spotted a glint underwater.
They had found the ring. Now they wanted to deliver it themselves.
According to Good News Network’s account of CBC’s interviews, the message announcing their success began: “Hi Sméagol, look what we found.” The Tolkien jokes became a plan for a very unusual doorstep reunion.
Watch the friends tell their story
CorriereTV spoke with the three Italian friends about recovering the ring and returning it to Ireland. This 2-minute, 19-second report is in Italian. Video: Simone Dinelli / CorriereTV.
Watch the report on CorriereTV.
A fellowship with a happier ending
The friends arrived at Mohr’s home in hobbit costumes, with music from The Lord of the Rings accompanying the return. The family welcomed them for a visit that included sightseeing and an Irish dinner.
Il Tirreno also reported a thoughtful exchange of gifts: the visitors brought vin santo and cantuccini, while their hosts gave each friend a bracelet with a hobbit-themed dedication.
The ring went back to its owner. The people who had been strangers beside a river now had friends in another country.
For once, the sensible ending to a Tolkien-inspired adventure was to keep the ring and invite the whole fellowship over for dinner.
Featured image: Original AI-assisted editorial illustration for The Mother of All Nerds. The ring, river and travelers are symbolic, not a photograph or reconstruction of the people or recovery.
