Wednesday, March 30, 2011

What Are The Odds...?


Only a child's faith would allow him to believe this bottle would ever be found!

It only seems fitting then that the bottle be found by another child! I guess that ol' Neptune has a soft spot for the wishes of the children. Or it could be that a beautiful mermaid decided to help out and guarded the bottle during it's 24 year journey?

No matter how it happened, this reads like something in a child's book of high sea adventures!

Message in a bottle answered 24 years later

Associated Press
March 29, 2011, 3:08PM


MOSCOW — Nearly a quarter-century after a German boy tossed a message in a bottle off a ship in the Baltic Sea, he's received an answer.

A 13-year-old Russian, Daniil Korotkikh, was walking with his parents on a beach when he saw something glittering lying in the sand.

"I saw that bottle and it looked interesting," Korotkikh told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "It looked like a German beer bottle with a ceramic plug, and there was a message inside."

His father, who knows schoolboy German, translated the letter, carefully wrapped in cellophane and sealed by a medical bandage.

It said: "My name is Frank, and I'm five years old. My dad and I are traveling on a ship to Denmark. If you find this letter, please write back to me, and I will write back to you."

The letter, dated 1987, included an address in the town of Coesfeld.

The boy in the letter, Frank Uesbeck, is now 29. His parents still live at the letter's address.

"At first I didn't believe it," Uesbeck told the AP about getting the response from Korotkikh. In fact, he barely remembered the trip at all; his father actually wrote the letter.

The Russian boy and the German man met each other earlier this month via an Internet video link.

I wish more things in our everyday lives worked out like this story, but sadly they don't. Most of the time, the bottle would get broken, or would leak water and sink, or would meet the fate of so many ships in the past...and just disappear for good!

Nice to know that sometimes the impossible happens, and the outcome is good!

How about coffee on the patio this morning! Just cool enough to be comfortable!

11 comments:

bigbadsis@gmail.com said...

What a happy story. I got the good kind of chills after reading it...don't know why except it is only 7:24 A.M. and already I haven't had a very good day.
You always seem to find interesting "stuff". Thanks!
Love you.

Anonymous said...

That is pretty cool alright. Glad the folks decided to write back.

Momlady said...

Amazing. Would love to have coffee on the patio but not here....you keep sending rain my way.

HermitJim said...

Hey Sis...
I'm glad you enjoyed the story, and I do hope your day gets better!

Been a little down myself as of late! I figured it was just Spring fever...who knows?

Thanks, Sis, for coming by today!


Hey Anon 7:26...
I think it's great that they decided to answer the note and write a real letter back!

Sort of one of those "feel good" stories!

I really appreciate you coming by today!


Hey Momlady...
Well, I wish you would send a little more back here! We only have a few sprinkles, but no real rain!

Everyday starts out looking like rain, but zero,zip,nada!! DRY!

You have a great day...and thanks for the visit this morning!

JoJo said...

Sorry to hear you are down these days. I hope your garden wil pick you up when things start to pop up with a renewal of life.
As for the story that is really cool.
I would love to have some coffee with you as always.

Anonymous said...

I do like these stories when things finally goes right :-) It seems the baltic sea is full of bottles like this because every now and again one turns up after many, many years :-)

Have a great day now!
Christer.

HermitJim said...

Hey JoJo...
I guess we all have days like that!

I didn't really want a garden this year, but Mom does...so, here we go!

Thanks so much for coming by today!


Hey Christer...
I've heard of something like this happening before, but it still amazes me!

That's a long time for a bottle to float around in the ocean!

I really appreciate you coming by today, buddy!

Mechanic in Illinois said...

With that kind of luck Frank needs to go buy a lotto ticket. Thanks for the neat story and have a great Wednesday.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mechanic...
Does seem like Lady Luck is on his side right now, doesn't it?

I really do appreciate you coming by today!

Marjie said...

It's a nice renewal of faith for the grown up boy, and an exciting thing for the boy who found it!

HermitJim said...

Hey Marjie...
Nothing like this to put a little magic back into your life!

Thanks, my friend, for coming by today!