British freediver recovers lost engagement ring from bottom of England’s largest lake

By Noah Hochfelder June 8, 2021
Freediver Angus Hosking pulled off the improbable, recovering Rebecca Chaukria’s engagement ring after she dropped it into the depths of Lake Windermere.

A joyous day took a dark turn when Rebecca Chaukria dropped her engagement ring into the waters of England’s largest lake. But for Angus Hosking, all it took was a wetsuit, goggles, and 20 minutes underwater to came up with the piece of jewelry.

The rescue story which has turned heads for its dramatic circumstances and quirky charm began when Chaukria and her fiancée, Viki Patel, were taking engagement photos together on a jetty on Lake Windermere. Patel had proposed just two days prior, and the engagement ring was fresh out of the box when it slipped off of Chaukria’s hand.

Cue the panic.

Patel leapt into the water after the ring, but the frigid and murky waters of Lake Windermere denied visibility. At a loss for what to do, the couple were able to connect with Hosking. The 21-year-old has garnered local fame for his business, Lake District Diving, which helps clean trash and lost valuables from the bottom of Lake Windermere.

Hosking responded to the scene with his wetsuit and underwater metal detector.

His first reaction to the situation was not encouraging. The diver told CNN’s Sarah Dean that “the visibility [in the water] was absolutely terrible.” Regardless, Hosking’s aquatic prowess prevailed. He came out of the water with Chaukria’s ring in 20 minutes.

In exchange for the ring rescue, Patel said Hosking would be welcome to their wedding, pending COVID-19 restrictions.

Recently, Lake District Diving has made other splashes in the world of lake rescue. In a May 29th post on their Facebook page, they included a video of a recovery of an iPhone 12 that had sunk to the bottom of Lake Windermere. After 10 hours searching underwater, the Lake District Diving team came up with the phone—which seemed to still be functioning.