Latest news with #AprilSchmitt
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
She lost her diamond. An airport full of strangers began looking
April Schmitt with Steve Turkaly, left, and Tom Riordan. Schmitt's diamond fell out of her engagement ring on June 13, and Turkaly and Riordan helped find it. Image: Pittsburgh International Airport Sydney Page April Schmitt was never superstitious about Friday the 13th. She got engaged on Friday, March 13, 1992, and married on another Friday the 13th that November. For more than three decades, those dates marked happy milestones. But on Friday, June 13, Schmitt found herself wondering if her luck had run out. After a stressful week managing a work event in Los Angeles, Schmitt landed in Pittsburgh. Her trip home had already hit a couple of snags - a delayed flight, an unanticipated overnight stay in Philadelphia - and she was eager to be back with her family. About 30 minutes into her 40-minute drive home, Schmitt noticed something strange. 'I touched my ring, and it felt sharp,' Schmitt said. 'I look down, and there were just four empty prongs staring at me. I instantly felt sick to my stomach. My heart sank.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Schmitt's ring missing the center stone. Image: April Schmitt She turned her car around and rushed back to Pittsburgh International Airport. On the way, she retraced her steps and realized her round diamond - the one her husband of 32 years proposed to her with - likely came loose at baggage claim. 'I think the bag sort of shifted, and I pinched my hand between the suitcase and the carousel,' Schmitt said. 'I jerked my hand back and didn't actually think anything of it.' When she got back to the airport, she started frantically looking around American Airlines Baggage Claim B. She reported the lost diamond to an airline staffer, who then alerted airport staff. Schmitt with her husband, Eric Schmitt, on their wedding day, Nov. 13, 1992. Image: Courtesy of April Schmitt A group of six airline service technicians promptly arrived at the carousel to search for the diamond. 'I found the woman on her hands and knees with the flashlight on her phone looking,' said Tom Riordan, a stationary engineer who has worked at the airport for 20 years. While some airport workers climbed underneath the carousel to look inside, others searched the exterior. Some travelers joined the effort, too. 'Several good Samaritans were trying to crawl around and look as well,' Schmitt said. 'These are just good, wholesome people. … They could see how much it meant to me.' After an hour and a half of looking, Schmitt was beginning to lose hope. Although the diamond was insured, Schmitt said, no replacement stone would have had the same sentimental value. 'I just felt so deflated,' Schmitt said. A recent photo of the Schmitts. Image: Courtesy of April Schmitt The workers told her there would be a lull in incoming flights shortly, and staff on the next shift would continue looking for her diamond. 'I must confess, I didn't really 100 percent believe that they were going to,' said Schmitt, who decided to cut her losses and drive home. But, to Schmitt's surprise, the airport staff kept their word. A few hours later, around 3:45 p.m., Schmitt got a call. The diamond had been found. 'I was like, 'Wait, what?!'' said Schmitt, who drove back to the airport. 'I was just so excited.' Sean Dempsey, a stationary engineer at the airport, found the diamond inside the debris-filled carousel - in the exact spot Schmitt believed it popped out of the prongs. The service technicians explained that there is a trapdoor at the top of the carousel, giving them access to climb underneath. 'I just was crawling with a flashlight, and we had paint sticks to scrape all the dirt away,' he said. 'The diamond caught a little bit of light, and I found it.' Airport staff said supporting travelers is their primary job. 'This is one of several incidents that we've recently had, including golf clubs that needed to get returned to somebody at the U.S. Open,' said Christina Cassotis, chief executive of Pittsburgh International Airport. 'It's not the first time we've found a diamond. This is what we do.' 'She was so grateful, with tears in her eyes that the diamond was found,' Riordan said of Schmitt. 'It was so nice to be able to get it back to her.' Schmitt said she offered to bring the staff food, make a donation or give them gifts to show her appreciation. They declined. 'They were like, 'Seeing your smile is all the reward we need,'' said Schmitt, who returned to the airport on June 26 to give each person who assisted a small gift and a thank-you card. A photo of the stone after it was found. Image: April Schmitt
Washington Post
27-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
She lost her diamond. A crew of strangers began looking on hands and knees.
April Schmitt was never superstitious about Friday the 13th. She got engaged on Friday, March 13, 1992, and married on another Friday the 13th that November. For more than three decades, those dates marked happy milestones. But on Friday, June 13, Schmitt found herself wondering if her luck had run out. After a stressful week managing a work event in Los Angeles, Schmitt landed in Pittsburgh. Her trip home had already hit a couple of snags — a delayed flight, an unanticipated overnight stay in Philadelphia — and she was eager to be back with her family. About 30 minutes into her 40-minute drive home, Schmitt noticed something strange. 'I touched my ring, and it felt sharp,' Schmitt said. 'I look down, and there were just four empty prongs staring at me. I instantly felt sick to my stomach. My heart sank.' She turned her car around and rushed back to Pittsburgh International Airport. On the way, she retraced her steps and realized her round diamond — the one her husband of 32 years proposed to her with — likely came loose at baggage claim. 'I think the bag sort of shifted, and I pinched my hand between the suitcase and the carousel,' Schmitt said. 'I jerked my hand back and didn't actually think anything of it.' When she got back to the airport, she started frantically looking around American Airlines Baggage Claim B. She reported the lost diamond to an airline staffer, who then alerted airport staff. A group of 6 airline service technicians promptly arrived at the carousel to search for the diamond. 'I found the woman on her hands and knees with the flashlight on her phone looking,' said Tom Riordan, a stationary engineer who has worked at the airport for 20 years. While some airport workers climbed underneath the carousel to look inside, others searched the exterior. Some travelers joined the effort, too. 'Several good Samaritans were trying to crawl around and look as well,' Schmitt said. 'These are just good, wholesome people. … They could see how much it meant to me.' After an hour and a half of looking, Schmitt was beginning to lose hope. Although the diamond was insured, Schmitt said, no replacement stone would have had the same sentimental value. 'I just felt so deflated,' Schmitt said. The workers told her there would be a lull in incoming flights shortly, and staff on the next shift would continue looking for her diamond. 'I must confess, I didn't really 100 percent believe that they were going to,' said Schmitt, who decided to cut her losses and drive home. But, to Schmitt's surprise, the airport staff kept their word. A few hours later, around 3:45 p.m., Schmitt got a call. The diamond had been found. 'I was like, 'Wait, what?!'' said Schmitt, who drove back to the airport. 'I was just so excited.' Sean Dempsey, a stationary engineer at the airport, found the diamond inside the debris-filled carousel — in the exact spot Schmitt believed it popped out of the prongs. The service technicians explained that there is a trapdoor at the top of the carousel, giving them access to climb underneath. 'I just was crawling with a flashlight, and we had paint sticks to scrape all the dirt away,' he said. 'The diamond caught a little bit of light, and I found it.' Airport staff said supporting travelers is their primary job. 'This is one of several incidents that we've recently had, including golf clubs that needed to get returned to somebody at the U.S. Open,' said Christina Cassotis, chief executive of Pittsburgh International Airport. 'It's not the first time we've found a diamond. This is what we do.' 'She was so grateful, with tears in her eyes that the diamond was found,' Riordan said of Schmitt. 'It was so nice to be able to get it back to her.' Schmitt said she offered to bring the staff food, make a donation or give them gifts to show her appreciation. They declined. 'They were like, 'Seeing your smile is all the reward we need,'' said Schmitt, who returned to the airport on June 26 to give each person who assisted a small gift and a thank-you card. Schmitt said she still feels stunned she got her diamond back, and that so many strangers were willing, for hours, to help. 'It so restored my faith in humanity,' she said. Schmitt took the ring to be repaired at the same jeweler where her husband designed it years ago. The diamond, Schmitt said, has even more meaning now. 'It's very special,' she said. And as it turns out, Friday the 13th kept its lucky streak for Schmitt. 'It was just such a gift to me to be reminded of how good people can be,' she said.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Yahoo
Airport Workers' Astonishing Find: A 34-Year-Old Engagement Ring Diamond in the Most Unlikely Place
While retrieving her luggage from baggage claim at Pittsburgh International Airport, the diamond from April Schmitt's engagement ring slipped out of its setting. Schmitt spent 90 minutes looking for the jewel but wasn't able to locate it. Airport maintenance workers continued the search for another four hours, eventually retrieving the may be one of your biggest fears: losing your engagement ring. After first receiving this sentimental sparkler from your partner, you may find yourself anxiously checking to ensure that it's still on your left hand. And to ensure it stays in tact, you may opt to purchase ring insurance, remove the accessory when you're doing strenuous activities, or meet with an expert to ensure it's sized correctly. However, for April Schmitt, this ever-present anxiety became an unfortunate reality when her 1.25-carat diamond suddenly became loose—and slipped out of its setting. After spending time in Los Angeles, Schmitt planned to return to her home of Pittsburgh on Thursday, June 12. However, a series of delays pushed her travel plans to the following day: Friday, June 13. Unfortunately, in a nod to the date's unlucky reputation, her bad fortune continued—even after arriving in Pittsburgh. "As I went to retrieve my bag from the carousel, my hand got stuck between the suitcase and the edge of the carousel," she told CBS News. "It pinched my hand, so I pulled my hand back really quickly," she said. However, once she returned home, she knew something on her hand didn't feel right. "I looked down and my ring was without a diamond," she told CBS News. Rather than the center stone, all she saw were four empty prongs. "It was devastating. I mean, I literally felt sick to my stomach as soon as I realized," she added. She immediately returned to the airport to start searching for the jewel: "I came in and I immediately started looking all around here, on the floor," Schmitt said. Luckily, four airport employees from the maintenance department joined her in her quest. However, after 90 minutes of searching—and even opening up some of the panels on the baggage carousel—the group had yet to find the missing diamond. Schmitt eventually returned home without her diamond. However, even though she may have give up, the airport employees didn't. The workers continued to search for the diamond for the next four hours, and, eventually, they discovered it. "Two paint sticks taped together, scraping dirt from underneath the carousel, that's how they actually found it," said Tom Riordan, a stationary engineer. "Literally, my jaw dropped. I was ecstatic. I just couldn't get to the airport quickly enough," Schmitt said. Not only was the sparkler significant to Schmitt, who received it from her husband 34 years ago, but the superstitious date was as well: Her husband proposed to her on Friday, March 13—and the two tied the knot on Friday, November 13, 1992. Up Next: A Stranger Helped a Woman Track Down Her Missing Wedding Ring from a Facebook Post Read the original article on Brides
CBS News
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Pittsburgh airport workers recover missing diamond from traveler's engagement ring
Friday the 13th lived up to its reputation for one woman passing through Pittsburgh International Airport. She lost the diamond from her engagement ring, but she wasn't unlucky for long. After a stressful 17 days of work around downtown Los Angeles, April Schmitt was making the flight on June 12 to come back home to Pittsburgh. Schmitt had to deal with a series of flight delays, missed connections and an overnight stay in an airport hotel, but she finally made it back to Pittsburgh on Friday, June 13. Woman loses diamond in baggage carousel However, that was just the start of some bad luck. While standing at carousel B, Schmitt reached for her suitcase, but her hand got stuck. "As I went to retrieve my bag from the carousel, my hand got stuck between the suitcase and the edge of the carousel. It pinched my hand, so I pulled my hand back really quickly," she said. In a state of shock, she walked away with her suitcase, but about 30 minutes later, when she was almost home, her ring finger felt different. "I looked down and my ring was without a diamond," she said. There were four empty prongs where the center diamond of her engagement ring should be. "It was devastating. I mean, I literally felt sick to my stomach as soon as I realized," she said. She drove back to the airport and began looking. "I came in and I immediately started looking all around here, on the floor," Schmitt said. Airport workers join the search Shortly after, four airport authority employees from the maintenance department joined in the search. Stationary engineer Tom Riordan said the baggage carousel is "a labyrinth of steel." Pittsburgh International Airport workers spent hours trying to find a diamond that had come loose from a woman's engagement ring. (Photo: KDKA) They all spent 90 minutes searching and crawling everywhere, even on the baggage carousel. They even pulled up some panels to look inside. "Yeah, typical day," said electrician Steve Turkaly with a laugh. Despite their best efforts, Schmitt left for home again, still heartbroken. Multiple flights arrived that day, and there were lots of suitcases for those passengers, but the airport employees didn't give up. Four hours later, Schmitt got the call, telling her they found the one-and-a-quarter carat diamond. "Two paint sticks taped together, scraping dirt from underneath the carousel, that's how they actually found it," Riordan said. "Literally, my jaw dropped. I was ecstatic. I just couldn't get to the airport quickly enough," said Schmitt. "It really felt good, I mean to see the expression on her face n'at, it made it all worth it," Turkaly said. "It restored my faith in humanity." It's a diamond with 34 years of meaning to Schmitt. Her husband proposed to her with it on Friday, March 13, and they got married on Friday, Nov. 13, 1992. Now, after Friday, June 13, 2025, she's counting the unluckiest day as her luckiest of all. "It restored my faith in humanity, honestly," she said. "These men didn't know me at all. They knew nothing about how long I've been married. They knew nothing about my husband or the stone or the sentimental value or the economic value, but that didn't matter; they were just committed to doing the right thing," she added. If you also lose something at Pittsburgh International Airport, call customer service, which catalogs what's lost and found, at 412-472-3525.
