Couple to be reunited with engagement ring lost down New York grate after viral Twitter search

Picture the scene: the bustle of Times Square at midnight - a man standing on a sidewalk - nervous, but ready to propose to his girlfriend.

Reader: his partner said yes, as the New York Police Department reported on Saturday, but the man fumbled at the crucial moment. The engagement ring bounced eight feet into a utility grate.

Quelle horreur! 

Credit: Pexels

The newly engaged couple, identified by the NYPD as UK-based John Drennan and Daniella Anthony, quickly became the subject of a mass Twitter search after the police department shared footage of them desperately trying to retrieve the ring from the subway grate.

While John and Daniella failed to retrieve the jewellery, despite dozens of passersby helping them look for two hours, it was later found and cleaned by NYPD officers.

The force appealed to social media to help track down the couple - who had left the area without leaving their contact details -  by sharing the clip to Twitter, and it quickly went viral, garnering over 25,000 retweets.

"WANTED for dropping his fiancée’s ring in @TimesSquareNYC! She said Yes - but he was so excited that he dropped the ring in a grate. Our @NYPDSpecialops officers rescued it & would like to return it to the happy couple. Help us find them?" the plea read.

The story made headlines, and news eventually reached the couple, who had by then returned home.

"The (now) happy couple is back in their home country, but thanks to your retweets they heard we were looking for them!" the NYPD wrote on Sunday. "We’re making arrangements to get them their ring back. Congratulations!"

John and Daniella have since spoken to the New York Times about their improbable engagement. "We’re absolutely ecstatic. We just cannot believe it," John told the publication, explaining that they had abandoned plans to purchase a replacement ring just in time.

"I just thought it was gone forever," Daniella corroborated. "I was devastated. I was literally crying. It was the worst moment of my life."

"We were walking back to the hotel. I can still visualise the ring. Bouncing once… bouncing twice and then it was gone," John continued. "We just presumed it was gone. In the end, we had no choice but to walk away and try to enjoy the rest of our weekend".

"We could not believe it, we really thought it was gone. We don’t use Twitter – we had absolutely no idea this was going on. But we are so happy. We are so thankful to everyone – especially the New York Police Department and everyone who shared our story."
The NYPD followed up with a picture of the happy couple reunited with the ring, holding a celebratory drink. "Thank you, Twitter. Case closed! Love, John, Daniella, and the NYPD," the post was captioned.

Well, how's that for a Christmas miracle?