New York City sanitation workers retrieve a woman's wedding rings against the odds

— -- A New York City woman said she felt "helpless" after losing her wedding ring and band in the trash, but thanks to the city's sanitation department, the items were returned to her.

"I had just cleaned them and I had them in a paper towel. I think I got distracted with the kids, it's hard to figure out, and I think I just crumpled it up, and I didn't feel the weight of them and I threw them out," Shannon Lombardo told ABC station WABC-TV about her missing rings.

The crisis was put to rest when New York City sanitation workers went above and beyond the call of duty to locate Lombardo's rings, sorting through the unimaginable horrors of a massive garbage heap to get it back to her.

New York City generates more than 14 million tons of trash per year, according to the city, putting it among the largest trash producers in the world.

Still, however, the workers are trained to locate small items in emergencies, and succeeded in getting Lombardo's rings back to her safe and sound.

"Seeing the happiness on their face, and I said that it's a great time for them to renew their vows and stuff. As long as they felt good, I felt good," said Sekou Callender, a Sanitation worker who helped find the ring, told WABC-TV.