‘What community is about’: Akron firefighters rescue wedding ring after freak accident

AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — Akron firefighters are used to battling rings of fire. But on Monday on the cascade towpath, it was a wedding ring that forced them into rescue mode … with the bride and groom in panic mode, on one of the happiest day of their lives.

Bianca and Cody Maytiggs of Akron are still basking in the glow of being newlyweds. The bridge along the cascade towpath served as the perfect backdrop for their Monday afternoon ceremony.

But just after they said their vows and during the ring exchange, there was a freak accident involving their 9-year-old daughter Brooklyn.

“Our daughter was kind of fidgeting with it and so when it was time to open the box, my band wasn’t tucked in,” explained Bianca. “So it just hopped out of the box and skipped right down to the bottom of the creek.”

The couples wedding officiant Stephanie Singleton, owner of Drive Through Weddings, says the ring rolled across the bridge, then fell approximately 40 feet into the creek below, landing on a concrete ledge, dangerously close to being washed away.

“I ran over to construction to see if they could help,” Singleton said. “They said find a fishing line. We can’t help you.”

“I was ready to go down there,” Cody said. “Once I seen it roll, I went over to those rocks over there and said I can go get it but, the park ranger, he wouldn’t allow me to do it.”

The Akron fire department’s technical rescue team were called and arrived a few minutes later. The 33-year old bride, also 9-months pregnant, recording their every move.

“I didn’t realize the magnitude of so many city resources would be involved in getting it,” she said. “But it made that moment even more special because it was just like, dang! They’re doing all this for me? For my ring?”

What was supposed to be a 15 minute wedding ceremony turned into a three hour ordeal. A member of the rescue team carefully repelled down to the ledge just above the raging waters, delicately retrieving the diamond wedding band.

The ceremony picked up where it left off, and the owners of a career transformation company are now husband and wife.

And then a photo shoot that included their uninvited, yet very brave wedding guests.

“You have these brave people, who even for a ring, are willing to do something dangerous, just to recover your day,” Bianca said. “And that’s what community is all about.”

Bianca and Cody said this was supposed to be a secret ceremony. And now the entire world will witness their happily ever after.

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