Southwest Florida Snowbird Loses Two Diamond Rings at RSW, Including One Belonging to Late Sister

FORT MYERS - 

A trip to Southwest Florida’s RSW Airport turned heartbreaking for snowbird Darleen Clausner, who lost two diamond rings earlier today — one of which belonged to her late sister. Now, Clausner is asking the public for help in locating them.

Most of us have lost something valuable at least once — that sinking feeling when you realize it’s gone and you don’t know where it is. That’s exactly what Clausner experienced at RSW. She believes the rings may have fallen in one of two locations: Cell Phone Lot Two or Departures Door Two.

Clausner explained that she had taken the rings off to apply hand lotion and set them in her lap. “I didn’t realize that I didn’t put them back on,” she said.

“It was just horrible, because then you're going crazy trying to find it, and the flights leaving in 45 minutes. And what can I do? I can't do anything,” Clausner added.

Clausner says the rings carry more than monetary value. One of them belonged to her late sister, who passed away just last year. She and her sister had designed the ring together, and wearing it made Clausner feel as though her sister was with her.

“I loved wearing it, and I felt like I had her with me when I had it on,” she said.

Clausner also wears a wedding ring and wedding band, but she says the sentimental value of her sister’s ring made it especially important.

The rings could have been lost in either the cell phone lot, where Clausner stopped to let her dogs go to the bathroom, or at Departures Door Two while picking up a friend. “We stopped at the cell phone lot, and I put some hand lotion on my hands, because they were very dry, took off my two rings, one being my sister’s, who just passed away, and the other was my wedding ring and wedding band. And I guess I put them in my lap, and I didn't realize that I didn't put them back on,” Clausner explained.

Clausner’s friend began searching the area immediately. Many strangers even joined in to help look. “A lot of people got out of their cars and started helping her look. And it was so nice to see. I can't tell you how much that means to — see people stepping up and helping other people,” Clausner said.

Despite the effort, there has been no luck so far. Clausner filed a lost and found report at RSW Airport, and police have been notified.

Clausner says she reached out to WINK News to help spread the word, hoping someone might find the rings. “No one likes to throw money away, but that one ring means the world to me,” she said.

Clausner lives in a suburb of Toronto but has a winter home in Naples, where she spends time with her grandchildren and enjoys horse riding. She and her friend had coordinated their airport trip to swap cars, which unfortunately coincided with the loss.

Anyone who spots the rings is asked to contact RSW Airport’s Lost and Found.