A New Jersey woman was thrilled when a group of sanitation workers found her special necklace, which had been accidentally thrown away when she went to hospital.

Staff at Covanta Energy Corp. in Oxford Township dug through a 15-ton pile of hospital waste to find it!

Samantha LaRochelle was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Phillipsburg on Saturday, June 17, after falling unconscious, LehighValleyLive.com reported.

While she was out, a staff member at the hospital removed the prized dual-pendant she always wears around her neck, and accidentally threw it in the trash.

On the customized chain, which her wife Audrey made for her, hangs her grandfather’s pendant and a second 14-karat gold pendant containing her late mother’s thumbprint.

On the customized chain, which her wife Audrey made for her, hangs her grandfather’s pendant and a second 14-karat gold pendant containing her late mother’s thumbprint

‘This thing means more to me than the world,’ said LaRochelle.

After first making sure it was nowhere in the hospital room, LaRochelle began a more in depth search on Monday.

A Phillipsburg police officer scanned nine hours of surveillance video, and helped her track down the sanitation company that handles hospital waste.

By Wednesday, the search led her Covanta Energy Plant in Oxford, New Jersey, where workers dug through 15 tons of hospital waste to find her necklace.

Samantha LaRochelle (left, standing next to her wife Audrey) was thrilled when a group of sanitation workers found her special necklace, which had been accidentally thrown away when she went to the hospital.

By Wednesday, the search led her Covanta Energy Plant in Oxford, New Jersey, where workers dug through 15 tons of hospital waste to find her necklace. After looking for two hours, Steve Acierno, a worker at the plant, came up with the necklace.

LaRochelle treated the sanitation workers to lunch on Thursday, and took the time to pose for a photo with the people who helped find her precious belonging

LaRochelle and her wife Audrey visited the sanitation plant after they found the necklace. She said she still can’t thank them enough for finding her necklace

After looking for two hours, Steve Acierno, a worker at the plant, came up with the necklace.

‘She was super-excited to have it back. Just a great start to our day. We were all really happy for her,’ Acierno said.

LaRochelle treated the sanitation workers to lunch and cake Thursday. She still can’t thank them enough for finding her necklace.

‘It’s something I could never replace and they took the time, the effort,’ she said.

Along with bringing the sanitation workers lunch, LaRochelle also brought them a cake with the words ‘Thank you’ on it.