A loving boyfriend devised a one-of-a-kind proposal, leading his girlfriend on a scavenger hunt before getting down on one knee in the same spot her late father proposed in 1986. A few years before asking the big question, 32-year-old Tyler Dycus had heard his mother-in-law, Cathie Anderson, 65, talking about the spot where her husband, Jim, had proposed. It was a stunning location overlooking the water in Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla, California, Tyler remembered, and he knew that when the time came, he wanted to propose to his girlfriend, Maddie, at the same spot. Cathie moved to San Diego in the 1980s, met Jim and got engaged within a few months. For a short period, Jim went to school to be a park ranger, and though he changed career paths, the outdoors and his proposed spot in La Jolla remained memorable to him. Tyler never got a chance to meet Jim before he passed away from cancer in 2013, but Maddie kept her father's memory alive, telling stories of what a great family man he was, as well as his love of nature and music. Given how important Maddie's father was to her, Tyler knew he wanted to incorporate Jim into his proposal in some way. Having committed to getting down on one knee in the same spot, the 32-year-old planned a full-day of mystery adventure, encouraging Maddie to find Tyler by sunset. The journey included a message from Ice Cube, the star of Maddie's beloved Law and Order. It took her to the beach city of Encinitas, San Diego Zoo, Japanese Friendship Gardens, the UTC Mall in La Jolla, and, ultimately, Torrey Pines State Reserve at sunset. On October 7, 2023, Maddie removed her blindfold, and a proud Cathie walked her emotional daughter to her sunset proposal. Maddie's friends and family captured each step of the emotional and unique surprise on video, and she later shared each part of Tyler's loving gesture on her TikTok. There, the videos gained a viral response, with viewers commenting on Tyler's lovely gesture.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00She never thought she'd get proposed to in the same spot her mom did.
00:04Maddie's parents got engaged just months after they met,
00:07overlooking the water in San Diego.
00:10And although her boyfriend, Tyler, never got to meet her dad, Jim,
00:14he always did everything he could to honor his memory.
00:17Whether he created artwork of her and her dad's favorite park
00:20or repaired her dad's old guitar,
00:22her proposal would be no different.
00:25I remember distinctly the moment when I thought
00:29that that would be just a great spot to propose.
00:32We were on a hike with your mom in that area
00:36like three or four years before.
00:39And I just always kind of had it in my head since then.
00:42And he planned a detective-themed scavenger hunt
00:45leading up to that great spot.
00:49Maddie, it's Ice-T, aka Finn from SVU,
00:53and I'm here to send you on an extreme scavenger hunt, okay?
00:58It's called Operation Find Ty.
01:00Your job is to find Ty before sunset.
01:04The clues first took her to the zoo.
01:12Okay, I just went to the zoo
01:14and hung out with Tess and Tara.
01:16And now I'm at the Japanese Friendship Garden
01:19looking for friendships in a certain part of the garden.
01:23So, wish me luck.
01:25Then she made it to the mall
01:27where she ran into some familiar faces.
01:36Before finally heading to Torrey Pines State Reserve
01:38just in time for sunset.
01:40But as her mom, Kathy, led her to the special spot,
01:43Maddie still had no idea what to expect.
01:46I knew about the location.
01:48My mom had definitely mentioned it
01:50in front of Tyler and I in the past,
01:53but it had been probably years
01:56since those conversations happened.
01:58But as soon as she took her blindfold off,
02:00she knew exactly where she was.
02:03It was like a wave that hit me
02:05and I just like immediately cried.
02:07Look at my mom, she's crying.
02:09And she just looked at me, she's like,
02:11I know, like, I know like the depth of what you're feeling
02:16and how many layers are to this
02:18and how incredible it must feel.
02:24And Maddie told us she's grateful Tyler helped her heal
02:27and ensure her late dad was part of her life,
02:29but also part of her future
02:31by using a diamond from her mom and dad's engagement rings
02:35for her own ring too.
02:36I just hope everybody has their version of this moment.
02:39And for me, it was this, you know, adventure day
02:42with games and puzzles and having this moment
02:45dedicated kind of to my dad, who is no longer with us.
02:48And it was just so beautiful.
02:50I just hope everybody has their version of this moment.
02:55And for me, it was this, you know, adventure day
02:58with games and puzzles and having this moment
03:01dedicated to my dad, who is no longer with us.
03:04And it was just so beautiful.