A young British boy sent a message in a bottle out to sea, and remarkably received a response after it traveled a staggering distance of 4,200 miles to the Caribbean.
Harrison Mizen, an eight-year-old boy, discovered the concept of sending messages via bottles at school. With the assistance of his 38-year-old mother, Laura, they placed a note in an old glass rum bottle that evoked thoughts of pirates. The message, signed by Harrison, introduced himself and his younger brother Max, stating they were from South Shields in England, hoping for the message to reach someone and wishing them a good day, along with including their address.
Accompanied by his four-year-old brother Max and 41-year-old father Paul, who is a heating engineer, they cast the bottle into the North Sea off Sandhaven beach in South Shields, Tyne and Wear on January 21. Eight months later, on a Tuesday, Harrison was astonished to find a postcard from St. Lucia waiting for him at home.
Excitedly, Harrison brought the postcard to school for show and tell. The postcard displayed a picturesque view of Gros Islet on the northern tip of St. Lucia, with a postmark dated September 8.
The sender of the postcard, who remained anonymous, mentioned finding Harrison’s note while fishing with their father. The bottle had snagged on nets similar to those shown in the picture on the postcard. They expressed gratitude for the message, informing Harrison that they were having a good day and hoping the same for him.
Laura, a civil servant, expressed her joy at Harrison’s delight, marveling at the unexpected reply. She admitted her initial skepticism about the bottle’s journey, expecting it to get caught or break. Despite their repeated attempts to cast it into the sea, it kept returning until finally reaching its destination.
In a similar story, Alaina Beresford, who had thrown a message in a bottle into the sea at the age of 12, was pleasantly surprised three decades later to receive a postcard confirming the discovery of her old message. The message had traveled approximately 725 miles to a beach in Norway, where it was found by Pia Brodtmann, a volunteer with a charity.
Pia, a 27-year-old woman, responded to Alaina’s message by sending a postcard featuring various captivating photographs, including images of the message in the bottle, her boat named the Nemo, and the area she was working in.
Alaina, now 43, was amazed to find her old note still legible and to receive a response after so many years. She expressed her astonishment upon discovering the postcard with her name on it, recognizing the significance of the unexpected communication.
These heartwarming stories of messages in bottles traveling vast distances and connecting strangers across the seas continue to capture the imagination and bring joy to those involved.