The tradition of sending messages in a bottle dates back to 310 BC, and they continue to be discovered today.
In a recent discovery, a French man found a message in a bottle that had been drifting for 26 years. This note was written by Benjamin Lyons, who was just five years old at the time, and released as part of a class project in Sandwich, Massachusetts, in 1997. French fisherman Hubert Eriau was fortunate to come across it more than two decades later.
The project involved students learning about ocean currents, prompting the release of the bottle into the sea.
In another instance last year, a couple named Rick and Crystal, who document their travels across Australia on TikTok, encountered an unusual discovery. They spotted a bottle floating in the ocean, and Rick captured the moment as he retrieved it from the water and handed it to Crystal.
Upon opening the bottle on the beach, they intended to retrieve a note but instead found the ashes of a man named Geoffrey. Apparently, Geoffrey wished for his remains to travel the seas, as indicated by a note requesting, “If found, please throw bottle into outgoing tide so I can continue my journey.”
Unfortunately, Geoffrey’s ashes ended up mixed with the sand on an Australian beach.
The video documenting this unexpected find has garnered nearly two million views, with one commenter questioning, “Okay but why would you put a message in a bottle and not think someone would open it?”
Another comment reflected on the situation, stating, “To be fair that’s poor foresight on Geoff’s part.”
Suggestions from viewers varied, with one person saying, “You’d think they’d super glue the lid on,” while another expressed surprise, “OMFG MY JAW. IS ON THE FLOOR.”
One commenter offered a practical solution, advising, “Just put some sand back in there. And chuck it back in. No one will ever know.”
The original posters confirmed their actions with, “That’s exactly what I did. Tried to get all of him back in there. Felt bad bro.”
The incident was also described by a viewer as ‘the best video I’ve ever seen on the internet’.
The takeaway from these stories might be to check the note before opening a bottle found in the sea…