It Was Like Finding a Needle in a Haystack... Uh, We Mean a Diamond Ring in a Corn Pit

A fun-filled romp with the kids in a 60-by-60-foot pool of corn kernels took a frightening turn when a Minnesota mother of three forgot to heed the warning signs and lost her newly upgraded diamond engagement ring when it slipped off her corn-starched finger.

One of the most popular attractions at the Twin Cities Corn Maze in Brooklyn Park, Minn., is the vast three-foot-deep corn pit containing seven semi-truck loads of kernels. The only risk in this family-friendly environment is the very real possibility of losing one's precious jewelry.

Farmer and owner Bert Bouwman explains: "One of the products you can get out of the corn is starch. Starch makes your hands slippery. It's a dry lubricant, and the cold weather makes your fingers a bit thinner so the rings can easily slip off." Because of the risk, Bouwman posts signs around the pit that warn visitors to remove their jewelry before entering the attraction.

Bouwman said that the corn pit consumes five to eight rings a year. The good news is that he and his staff are able to find about 80 percent of them.

Which brings us back to the story of Karilyn Miller, the Minnesota mom, who was having an awesome outing on September 29 with her three kids, Jaelie, 5, Bradon, 2, and Kailah, 16 months. “We were playing and I was just going to scoop one more handful of corn, and then I noticed ‘Oh my goodness, I think my ring just fell off,’” Miller told ABC News.

Then the search was on. Countless strangers tried to help, but locating the diamond engagement ring that her husband had recently upgraded to mark their 10 years together was like finding a needle in a haystack. Miller said she prayed for the ring's safe return. "I said, 'God, I know it's just a ring but, if you can, help us find this.'"

Eventually, the kids became tired and Miller decided to start heading home, while her husband and others continued the search.

Well, the combination of faith and good fortune saved the day for the Millers. A young man who runs the rock climbing wall attraction at the Corn Maze had a metal detector on the site. Said Dale Webb, the rock climbing guy, "I got a blip, so I started digging in that area. I said, 'You won't believe it, we found it!'"

All the volunteers erupted in applause.

Miller returned to the pit to thank everyone for their help. She told ABC News, “To see the good in people, it was just a very uplifting experience.”