A groom-to-be dropped his future wife’s engagement ring in a rat-infested pond in a bungled proposal.
Grant Stevens, 28, went down on one knee on a bridge in Lincoln Arboretum in Lincs, to ask Milly Reece, 31, if she wanted to marry him.
His disastrous proposal saw the aquamarine stone ring fall out and into the murky water just as he went to pop the question.
The gold-banded engagement ring was loose in the box and slipped through a gap in the slats during the romantic moment.
Thankfully, web developer Grant found the ring stuck in the mud after wading through the water for 45 minutes.
Software tester Milly found the moment hilarious and reveals she said “yes” before he had a chance to even ask.
She said: “I was busy taking pictures of the view when he said ‘I have a question to ask you.
“I turned to look at him and thought ‘what are you up to?’
“He got down on one knee and opened the box. The ring wasn’t secure in the box and it just tumbled out, rolled along the bridge and through one of the gaps.
“We were both in shock at what had just happened. I said yes before he even jumped into the lake to find it.
“I was just gobsmacked when he found it. I honestly didn’t think he would find it due to the amount of gunk at the bottom of the lake, the water was so murky, and a rat swam by at one point.
“He was so pleased and just relieved that he hadn’t just wasted a ton of money.”
Milly also shared the funny moment on Facebook with the caption: “My partner proposed to me on a bridge in Lincoln Arboretum.
“As he opened the box, the ring tumbled out and fell through the bridge slats into the pond.
“He took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his shorts and jumped in the pond to search for it.
“This lady and her daughter hung around for a while helping to look within the leaves in the slats before wishing us good luck and going on about their day.
“Forty-five minutes later he fished it out! Here’s a picture of the offending bridge, my fiancé searching and my beautiful ring and when he finally found it!”
The post now has over 7,100 likes, with over 500 people commenting on Milly and Grant’s dramatic engagement story.
One social media user said: “Congratulations. What a story to tell in years to come.
“So glad he found it. A lovely ring.”
One group member added: “That’s an engagement to remember for sure…
“What bad luck it fell through the slats, I bet you both couldn’t believe it. Congratulations to you both”.