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Lost engagement ring turned in at Atlanta airport
A lost engagement ring found at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is now in Delta’s lost and found thanks to a 9-year-old boy who insisted it be returned. The child spotted the ring and told his mother, "We have to find who this belongs to." The ring was turned over to a Delta employee, and airport staff hope it is reunited with its owner in time for the holidays.
ATLANTA - During one of the busiest travel periods of the year at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a small act of honesty stands out.
What we know:
A family traveling through the airport found a lost engagement ring and is now hoping it can be returned to its owner in time for Christmas.
Nine-year-old Wilder Petrillo discovered the ring just after security while his family was traveling from Blue Ridge to Vermont on Friday afternoon. The third-grader said he noticed something shiny on the escalator and bent down to pick it up.
Nine-year-old Wilder Petrillo holds a lost engagement ring he found near an escalator after airport security, shown alongside a close-up of the ring where it was discovered, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport during holiday travel on …
What they're saying:
"We are heading down the escalator, and I saw this guy step on something, and it sounded like a metal click. So, I bent down, and I saw this ring," Wilder said.
Wilder’s mother, Jaime Petrillo, said the ring appeared bent from being on the escalator, but her son immediately knew what to do.
"He instantly was like, ‘Oh, we found a ring. We've got to figure out who it belongs to.’ But it was literally the biggest crush in the airport that we've seen in a while because of the holiday travel," Jaime said.
Holiday decorations fill Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as travelers move through packed terminals during one of the busiest travel periods of the year ahead of Christmas 2025. (FOX 5)
The family turned the ring over to a Delta Air Lines employee at the Concourse A Sky Club, where they were told it would be placed into lost and found.
"I do hope the owner finds it, because that ring could mean something really important to them," Wilder said.
Jaime added, "I'm sure I mean, if I lost my engagement ring, I would be heartbroken."
For the Petrillo family, this was not about a reward or recognition. It was about returning a meaningful piece of someone else’s story.
Holiday decorations fill Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as travelers move through packed terminals during one of the busiest travel periods of the year ahead of Christmas 2025. (FOX 5)
Asked about his Christmas wish, Wilder said, "That the person finds the ring." His mother agreed, saying, "Yeah. That'd be the best gift, wouldn't it? Be able to get it back to its rightful owner."
Anyone who believes the ring may belong to them is encouraged to contact Delta.
Delta released a statement saying, "We’re grateful to the family who turned in the lost item at our Delta Sky Club. Their act of kindness is a wonderful reminder of the true spirit of the season."
The Source: Nine-year-old Wilder Petrillo, who found the ring, and his mother, Jaime Petrillo, spoke with FOX 5's Tyler Fingert for this article. Delta Air Lines offered a statement of gratitude.