Pittsburgh, PA — A homecoming journey turned emotional for one Pennsylvania woman when she lost the diamond from her engagement ring at Pittsburgh International Airport — but thanks to the persistence and kindness of airport workers, the story took a sparkling turn.
After wrapping up a grueling 17-day work assignment in downtown Los Angeles, April Schmitt was ready to return to Pittsburgh on June 12. What followed was a travel ordeal filled with delays, missed connections, and an overnight hotel stay. She finally arrived back in Pittsburgh on Friday, June 13.
Unfortunately, her bad luck didn’t end there.
While retrieving her suitcase at baggage carousel B, Schmitt’s hand got caught between her luggage and the carousel’s edge.
“As I went to grab my bag, my hand got pinched,” she recalled. “I pulled it back quickly without thinking much of it.”
Schmitt collected her bags and left the terminal, but during the drive home, something felt off. Thirty minutes later, she looked down at her left hand and noticed something devastating: the diamond in her engagement ring — a one-and-a-quarter carat stone held by four prongs — was gone.
“It was devastating,” she said. “I literally felt sick to my stomach.”
A Desperate Search Begins
Without hesitation, Schmitt turned the car around and drove straight back to the airport to begin the search. She scoured the floor near the carousel, retracing her steps, hoping for a miracle.
Soon, she was joined by four members of the Pittsburgh Airport Authority’s maintenance department, including stationary engineer Tom Riordan and electrician Steve Turkaly.
“The inside of that carousel is a labyrinth of steel,” Riordan explained. Despite the challenges, the crew spent 90 minutes crawling, searching, and even removing panels in a meticulous effort to locate the missing gem.
Though they initially came up empty-handed, the workers refused to give up.
Persistence Pays Off
Hours after Schmitt left the airport a second time, heartbroken, her phone rang.
“I got the call four hours later — they found it,” she said.
The diamond was located underneath the carousel by workers using two paint sticks taped together to scrape dirt and debris from hard-to-reach spots.
“Literally, my jaw dropped,” said Schmitt. “I was ecstatic. I just couldn’t get back to the airport fast enough.”
“It really felt good,” said Turkaly. “To see the expression on her face, it made it all worth it.”
More Than Just a Diamond
For Schmitt, the recovered stone is far more than a precious gem — it carries 34 years of memories. Her husband proposed with that ring on Friday, March 13, and the couple married on Friday, November 13, 1992. Ironically, it was Friday, June 13, 2025, when she lost — and then recovered — the symbol of their enduring love.
“It restored my faith in humanity,” she said tearfully. “These men didn’t know me. They didn’t know the history of the ring, or the sentimental value. But they were committed to doing the right thing.”
Lost and Found at Pittsburgh International
Travelers who lose items at Pittsburgh International Airport are encouraged to contact customer service at 412-472-3525, where all found items are cataloged.
For Schmitt, what began as an unlucky Friday the 13th turned into a reminder of hope, kindness — and an unforgettable reunion with a diamond that means everything.
