Message in a bottle returned to sender nearly 40 years after it was written

Messages in bottles seem really old-fashioned nowadays when we live in an era of instant communication to anyone all around the world - but finding one would still be really exciting, especially if you could locate the person who sent it.

That's exactly what happened to one couple when they were walking down the beach - they found a message in a bottle when two teachers were cleaning up, and they managed to locate the man, despite the fact he threw the message in a bottle into the sea a whopping 37 years ago.

Annie and Katie Carrmax were given the message, and the note was from Troy Heller, and it included his address and phone number.

Troy was so excited he framed the note and a picture of him dropping the message in the sea... (Jam Press/@cmfam11)

...he was surprised the message was still intact (Jam Press/@cmfam11)

At the bottom of the note it read: "P.S. Whoever finds this, call me or write to me."

It was found in Sebastian, in Florida, US, about 13 miles from the pier where he had chucked it in the water.

Using the old contact details for Troy, of Louisville, Kentucky, Annie and Katie carried out an online search and found a man with the same name living in Mount Washington.

Troy said he was having lunch when he received a call from a number in Florida he did not recognise.

After missing the call, Annie and Katie sent Troy a text message that promptly caught his attention.

Troy, who was 10-years-old when he tossed the old Pepsi bottle into the Atlantic Ocean, said: "As soon as I saw it, I remembered writing it."

Despite the note only travelling several miles from where he threw it in the sea, Troy said he was stunned it had survived for nearly 40 years.

Annie and Katie sent the note back to Troy and he later framed it alongside a photo of him throwing the Pepsi bottle into the sea as a young lad.

Troy said: "It's something you never thought would happen. I thought I'd just throw it out in the ocean and just see where it went, you know? It's just amazing that it finally found its way back."

Annie and Katie's good deed sparked a wave of comments from moved TikTok users.

One user wrote: "I love everything about this!"

"This right here is the only reason the Internet should be a thing," said another.

"My cousin put a message in a bottle in Maine. It was found on a beach in Ireland 20 years later!" commented someone else.

Annie and Katie gushed: "His excitement on the phone when we called was everything."

Have you ever written a message in a bottle? Let us know in the comments.