Kid Finds Message in Bottle On the Other Side of the Ocean

Putting a message in a bottle is a fun thing for a kid to do. Finding a message in a bottle is something every kid wants to do. And now, two kids on opposite sides of the Atlantic are pals because of just such a message. Christian Santos, 17, was fishing in the Azores when he spotted a bottle, the BBC reports. He picked it up and found a note: “It is Thanksgiving. I am 13 and visiting family in Rhode Island. I am from Vermont.” There was an email address, which Christian tried, but got no response. The message was sent by Sean Smith, who wrote the note as part of a family activity organized by his aunt, Katie Smith, in 2018, WJAR reports.

When Christian’s email went unanswered, his mom, Molly Santos, posted a picture of the note on Facebook hoping someone would find the sender. The post went viral enough to get some news coverage. Two and a half years had passed and Sean, of course, had long since forgotten about the note and stopped checking that inbox. But he did see a news story about it and reached out. The two teens are now in touch, having met on a Zoom call, and joined by a coincidence and a cool memory. (More uplifting news stories.)