For 15 years, James Whitfield has been strolling the beaches of Hampton Roads with headphones on and a metal detector in hand like a friendly treasure‑hunting guardian angel. On a recent Saturday, the 62-year-old civil engineer struck gold, literally.
Beach detector hobbyists like Whitfield regularly patrol the Virginia Beach shoreline. They’re often the difference between a tourist heading home smiling or leaving heartbroken over a lost valuable.
Tos and Bukola Ogunade started their day on the beach with family and friends around 24th Street in a joyous mood…