Ring dropped down drain to be reunited with owner 27 years later

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A man on a mission to return a high school class ring to its owner is thanking social media for helping make the connection.

Drew Thornton was working a summer job on Southern University’s campus in June of 2018 when he found a ring in the sewer. Thornton now lives in Dallas and sent WAFB pictures of the ring to try and locate its owner.

The ring is from Breaux Bridge High School’s class of 1991. The name “Monica” is on one side, and what appears to be a volleyball with the number 18 on the other side.

Thornton reached out to the high school in order to locate the owner but had no luck.

UPDATE: I just talked to Monica and Drew and a reunion is in the works! Y’all. Less than 24 hours and the Lousiana...
Posted by Lauren Westbrook KWTX on Monday, September 23, 2019

Breaux Bridge c/o 1991 ring found on SU's campus in 2018. — Breaux Bridge c/o 1991 ring found on SU's campus in 2018.(WAFB)

Less than 24 hours after WAFB posted the pictures on Facebook, and after hundreds of comments, the Breaux Bridge community was able to identify the ring’s owner.

No. 18 for the Breaux Bridge High Tigers volleyball team, Monica Alexander, says she dropped the ring down the shower drain in August of 1992. She says she had trouble getting anyone to help her fish it out because maintenance crews were busy preparing the campus for the incredible category 5 Hurricane Andrew.

Pictured third from the left on the top row, Monica Alexander, No. 18 for the Breaux Bridge... — Pictured third from the left on the top row, Monica Alexander, No. 18 for the Breaux Bridge Tigers volleyball team, says she dropped her ring down a drain in 1992.(WAFB)

“I lost it immediately before the storm arrived in Baton Rouge,” Alexander said. “We were moving in our dorms for the fall semester and the storm hit that same week!”

Fast forward 27 years, to the summer of 2018, when Thornton says he found the ring in a sewer on Harding Boulevard. Thornton wasn’t even a year old when the ring was first lost. He had been in possession of the ring for a year.

Katrina Williams, Alexander’s teammate, came to Baton Rouge Sunday, Oct. 6, to meet with Thornton to get the ring. Thornton was on the way to his home in Dallas and Williams drove from Lafayette in order to meet.

Despite the long distance, they both believed returning the ring to its rightful owner was worth the trip.

Williams and Thornton chose Baton Rouge as the midway point and meeting spot to exchange the... — Williams and Thornton chose Baton Rouge as the midway point and meeting spot to exchange the ring to Williams.(WAFB)

Williams and Alexander were on the same volleyball team at Breaux Bridge High School, and the two had recently reconnected two years ago.

Williams will return the ring Alexander, who currently resides in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thanksgiving.

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