An Irish dad on vacation in Italy watched his 18-karat wedding ring slip off his finger and vanish into a fast-flowing mountain stream. His wife asked three young Italian men nearby for help, and they made a promise that sounds like the start of a movie: they would find the ring and bring it to Ireland. Two days of kayak searching came up empty, but on day three, Nicola Malloggi spotted a glint in the river sand while snorkeling. The trio sent the owner a photo with the message“Hi Sméagol, look what we found.”
Then they took it further. Filippo Palagi, Nicola Malloggi, and Edoardo Poggi flew to Ireland, arrived at Patrick Mohr’s door dressed as hobbits, and sang songs from The Lord of the Rings films. Mohr treated them to a tour of Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains, Guinness at a pub, and a traditional Irish dinner.
The ring is back where it belongs, and three strangers turned a vacation mishap into a friendship across two countries. So tell us: what’s the most over-the-top way a stranger has ever helped you out?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.