Woman, sanitary workers dig through 11 tons of trash to find $40K diamond ring

Chau Thi My Hoa, after cleaning her home in the central city Wednesday, threw away some unused items, including the ring which she only found out late in the evening.

The trash by that time was already being transported to a landfill.

Hoa rushed to the landfill and asked the employees to help find the ring.

Although the workers were already overwhelmed with a large influx of trash on the Lunar Yew Year’s Eve, they agreed to help her retrieve the lost item because of its significant value.

They unloaded 11 tons of trash from trucks and searched through them.

Chau Thi My Hoa (L) receives a diamond ring back from Lam Minh Hai, a sanitary worker who finds it after digging through piles of trash in Da Nang City on Jan. 30, 2025. Photo courtesy of Da Nang Urban Environment Jsc

"In the darkness, with an overwhelming amount of waste, the chances of finding the ring seemed extremely slim," said Mai Xuan Phuoc, director of the Waste Management and Treatment Enterprise under Da Nang Urban Environment Jsc.

"But miraculously, worker Lam Minh Hai spotted the jewelry box amid the trash."

The box, before midnight, was returned to Hoa, who expressed gratitude and offered a financial support to the workers who helped with the search.

The company, however, declined the gift.

"Our greatest joy is helping someone recover their lost belongings on New Year's Eve," Phuoc added.