NYPD retrieves lost diamond engagement ring of a UK couple from drain in Times Square

A British couple, whose diamond engagement ring fell down a utility grate in New York's iconic Times Square, will finally get it back, thanks to the NYPD and social media.

John Drennan and Daniella Anthony from Peterborough, UK, was in New York to celebrate their 10-year dating anniversary last week when they lost the precious ring.

The New York Police Department said Saturday the couple sought their for help after the ring fell nearly 8 feet down a utility grate. The NYPD Emergency Services could not immediately recover the ring and the distraught couple left for the UK.

The bride-to-be, Daniella, tweeted on Sunday that her fiancee John proposed in Central Park, but the ring was too big and fell off while they were walking in Times Square on Friday.

"We were walking back to the hotel. I can still visualise the ring. Bouncing once... bouncing twice and then it was gone," Drennan said.

The distraught couple called police straight away and officers were able to jar the grate open with a crow bar.

They looked underneath, with the aid of torches, for at least two hours but could not recover the ring.

After recovering the ring on Saturday, the NYPD launched a manhunt on social media, tweeting several photos of the ring, which they cleaned for the couple, along with security footage of their reaction to its fall.

"WANTED for dropping his fiancee's ring in @TimesSquareNYC!
"The time was right. There were autumn leaves everywhere and not many people."
"We don't use Twitter - we had absolutely no idea this was going on. But we are so happy."