A DETERMINED diving team helped retrieve a couple’s diamond engagement ring after dropping it in a lake.

Angus Hosking and Declan Turner have been taking the plunge into waters across Cumbria to help retrieve people’s lost treasures from the murky depths for years.

Known as Lake District Diving, the voluntary group was formed three years ago in a bid to clean up Cumbrian waters of rubbish as well as retrieve lost items.

Mr Hosking, one half of the diving duo, rushed to the shores of Langdale Chase after newly-engaged couple Vik and Rebecca revealed they had dropped their ring in the lake.

After 20 minutes of searching the waters with an underwater metal detector, Mr Hosking made an incredible discovery.

“The visibility really wasn’t great when I got there so I really couldn’t see well under the water,” Mr Hosking said.

“There was a couple of false alarms with a coin and metal caught in the scooper.

“Then 20 minutes I came and said I’ve got it.

“I saw it sparkling in the scooper and knew I’d found it.”

Luckily the couple had a vague idea of where the ring had fallen, making Mr Hosking’s difficult job somewhat easier.

“You never know how long you can be down there, sometimes it can be hours and hours looking for items,” he said.

“But they were fairly sure they knew where they’d dropped it, which was only a few metres from the jetty.”

The couple had got engaged two days before and travelled from London to Windermere for a photoshoot with the ring.

“They couldn’t believe it when I said I’d found it,” Mr Hosking said.

“They couldn’t stop saying thank you.

"I don’t think either of them expected me to find it.

“They were both blown away and really grateful.

"It’s so rewarding to be able to help people like that.

“That’s the best part of what we do and why we never want to set charges for diving.

"We don’t want to make profit off people losing things.”