@Nep
Your memory is tricking you. It is true that there are some attacks (Dragon's Breath, Fireball, many magical traps) which force a reflex save and deal half damage even on a success, but those are magical attacks, falling on the ground or other mundane occurrances do not deal actual damage...
A friend of mine did exactly the same thing with his keys after a party on the beach. All the morning combing the beach, gives up, kicks up some sand in frustration and there they were!