NEW ORLEANS — For some, a ring is a piece of jewelry you simply slip on a finger, but to others, it could mean so much more. A former New York firefighter flew to New Orleans for Jazz Fest and while enjoying his time here with his wife, a very special ring slipped off his finger.
Jules Keitt is calling on the city and fellow Jazz Fest goers to be on the lookout for the ring, a piece of jewelry that holds a very special place in his heart.
Keitt said, "This is really heartbreaking and it's tearing at my heart and I really need that ring back." Jules Keitt spent 30 years running towards the flames, saving the lives of those trapped behind them. He spent three decades fighting fires across New York City and is one of the many heroes who saw the devastation, working on the ground after September 11.
He said, "My job was to retrieve the bodies, I worked in the morgue... at ground zero."
Heroes like Keitt should be honored, and he was. "These great guys that I worked with, they decided to chip in and get me this 20-year ring and they presented it to me, surprisingly... it took me through a loop, I didn't know I was going to get this ring."
Those best friends who were fellow firefighters gave him the ring before 9-11, "The heartbreaking thing about this is, I lost these members during 911 and I lost them again by losing the ring."
A trip years in the making, Keitt and his wife Michal Aronson traveled to New Orleans for Jazz Fest. He only wears his ring for special occasions, and Jazz Fest was one of them, but sometime throughout the day, the ring fell off.
The couple described the gold ring, saying it has a little chip in it and it has a hook and ladder on one side and a fire hydrant on the other.
What may look like just a ring to you and me, Keitt said, "I want people to know how empty my heart is losing this ring and any help from the people at Jazz Fest, if they do find to reach out to you... they will fill my heart if it is returned."
To Keitt, this ring signifies his passion for helping others, it represents the brothers and sisters he lost during September 11 and highlights his honor to a career he loves so dearly.
If you're heading to Jazz Fest this weekend, please keep a lookout for the ring. If you find Jules Keitt's ring, please hand it in. You can call us here at WWL LOUISANA or send us an email. You can also email reporter Eleanor Tabone at etabone@wwltv.com or message her on Instagram or Facebook.
Eleanor will call Jules and let him know we found his ring and can work to get it back to him.