This is a grate story with a hoped-for happily-ever-after. If New York police, and Twitter sleuths, can find this couple.
On Sunday afternoon, they were found.
So here’s the story:
Police initially said it was outside the Times Square subway station, the crossroads of the world. It wasn’t. It was Central Park. But that doesn’t matter much. So, a man proposes just before midnight Friday, Nov. 30 while standing on a subway grate. Maybe the entrance to the subway is where they met. And, it is a cold day and every New Yorker knows plenty of warm air rises up from below. But it could be an unfortunate location to be holding something very small because if dropped, well, the item could be lost forever to subterranean New York.
In the video, the man can be seen proposing, the couple appears to embrace when the ring falls. Stunned, they both react when he gets on the street, then she; he even lies down to try to retrieve it from inside the grate. Unsuccessfully.
We now know the couple was John Drennan and Daniella Anthony.
Enter the New York Police Department Special Operations officers.
“WANTED for dropping his fiancée’s ring in @TimesSquareNYC! She said Yes – but he was so excited that he dropped the ring in a grate. Our @NYPDSpecialops officers rescued it & would like to return it to the happy couple. Help us find them? ? call 800-577-TIPS @NYPDTIPS @NYPDMTN”
Likely having other things to do, NYPD officers nonetheless retrieved the ring and even polished it up.
“Here’s a photo of the ring our officers recovered (and cleaned!) Call 1-800-577-TIPS or DM @NYPDTips if you know the happy couple so we can return it to them!”
Anxious to find the couple, the NYPD early Sunday afternoon shared some additional, and clearer, images of the couple.
“We still haven’t found our “almost engaged” couple WANTED for dropping their ring in Times Square. Here are some more photos, does anyone recognize them? For a fairy-tale ending, call 800-577-TIPS or DM @NYPDTips. ?”
The story has some “hopeless romantics” just as anxious as the NYPD to find the almost-engaged couple.
At around 1:30 p.m., the NYPD made an announcement:
“We would like to thank everyone who shared this story! The (now) happy couple is back in their home country, but thanks to your retweets they heard we were looking for them! We’re making arrangements to get them their ring back. Congratulations!”