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A small miracle emerged from the mud in Montecito, after a mudslide survivor’s wedding rings were found in a pile of dirt nearly three months after the disaster. Mari Mitchel and her husband Hank were trapped for hours inside their home on San Leandro Lane, when a wall of mud barreled through their walls on Jan. 9.
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Many of their belongings were washed away, including Mitchel’s wedding rings.
The couple has been digging out of their home with the help of friend and contractor Ann Burgard.
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Burgard is also a member of the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade–an all-volunteer non-profit helping residents remove mud and debris from their homes.
Burgard was clearing mud from Mitchel’s property while also combing through it with her hands when she found a frayed bag in a massive pile by the couple’s pergola.
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On the night of the Montecito mudslide, Mitchel put her wedding rings, a watch, and a special pendant into a small bag, so she could grab it quickly if she needed to evacuate. The Mitchel’s lived in a voluntary evacuation area.
Burgard said the bag, filled with Mitchel’s precious heirlooms, was on her mind each time she dug through the mud.