Nebraska man helping tornado victims find sentimental items ‘you can’t replace’

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Hundreds of families lost everything in last Friday’s tornadoes that hit Lancaster, Douglas and Washington counties.

So recovering the smallest treasure can mean the world to some of them.

Rob Lyman of Bennet has a knack for finding lost things like rings. He is offering his services for free to tornado victims.

“You can buy new lumber and build a house,” he said. “But that ring from Grandma, you can’t replace it at the jewelry store. And those are the items we would like to go out and help people get back.”

SEE ALSO: Tornado strength determined: Waverly, Elkhorn, Eppley

Lyman has all types of tools to find items that are hard to find with the naked eye. 

He said he’s already been contacted by some families, but there is a lot of wreckage to remove before he can start doing his work. 

“A lot of the items will, of course, be smaller, and they’ll be under bigger debris,” he said. “So a lot of this will happen once the bigger debris is removed.” 

SEE ALSO: Four tornadoes, including one EF-3, confirmed in central Nebraska

Lyman said that he personally knows some of the people affected and that even his son’s workplace was destroyed. 

“He works for a welding shop in Minden, Iowa,” Lyman said. “The shop is no longer there.”

Lyman said he wants to help these families because he loves to bring smiles to people’s faces. 

Families looking for specific items can contact Lyman at 402-580-6933.

SEE ALSO: Thousands of volunteers helping to rebuild after tornadoes wreak havoc in Nebraska