Growing up on the riverfront of the Potomac, I've had my fair share of "messages in a bottle" discovered. Time and time again there was that excitement of seeing the paper inside, rushing to it, praying that it would be an old pirate's treasure map or something incredible hidden inside.
However, in most cases, the message often gets warped from the water. Usually the best you can ever make out is the bleeding ink staining the waterlogged and moist paper, or if you got really lucky, a photograph would still be intact. Usually the long journey on the water ends up destroying these intriguing stories.
However, when one man was walking down the beach he saw something sitting on the shore. Initially he thought it was just some trash, but when he got closer for a better look, he suddenly noticed there was a tightly wound piece of paper inside.
Whoever stuffed this paper into the bottle certainly knew how to correctly seal it all together. The paper was pristine, and the photograph inside brought us to tears. Make sure to go through this beautiful story and you'll suddenly find yourself tearing up. Though it's bittersweet, at least this man's story ends exactly how he wanted it to: on the sea.
Have you ever found a message in a bottle like this before? Make sure to let us know in the comments below!
And please SHARE this beautiful story with all of your friends and family!
Imagine the excitement upon finding this intriguing bottle.
It's obvious that whoever set it up knew exactly how to keep the contents dry, no matter how many years it would spend at sea.
Looking through the glass, you can see that the paper and ink are in perfect condition.
The top was perfectly sealed and would need some serious work to be opened.
It took a wine corkscrew to finally get this thing open!
"Moss Beach, CA. 8/17/2014," reads the paper they found inside.
Though it hasn't been out on the ocean for long, there's clearly a story here...and a picture hidden inside!
Click to the NEXT page to see what the picture is!
The paper was laminated. This person made sure to share Mel's beautiful story with the world.
"My name is Mel, I have 3 beautiful kids and a beautiful wife of almost 54 years when I passed. I love the ocean, deep sea fishing, abalone hunting with my 2 Sons and visiting the tide pools with the whole family. Today my family is laying me to rest in a place I love… The ocean. So, this starts my journey… If you find this message in a bottle please go to my facebook page, post a pic of yourself and where you found me and send me back on my journey.
Thanks and God Bless.
Mel's Family."
Unfortunately, they couldn't corkscrew the top back on!
Without any tape, they'd have to figure out a good way to get the cap back on.
Using a hairband, they figured out how to properly secure the top back onto the bottle.
Though we didn't know Mel, we're sure he was a pretty great guy. Surrounded by his family on his final days, we're happy he was given this wonderful final wish.
With a good tide behind him and a bit of luck, we're sure Mel will travel the whole world. Hopefully he'll end up on a new continent!
Though this story is bittersweet, we're happy that Mel got the chance to tell us his story. Good luck, and Godspeed Mel, we'll never forget you.
Please SHARE this beautiful story if you want Mel to have an amazing journey traveling the seas! If you see him, make sure to take pictures and send him back on his last adventure!
