It’s not every single day that you find an ancient soda bottle with a note tucked inside. But if I were to ever find one, you best believe I’m going to be opening it.
This New Jersey boater didn’t just find the bottle and open up the note inside, but he was able to get in touch with someone related to the person who wrote it. The 50-year-old note was discovered while out on a regular day boating as part of the Tidelands Initiative, but the story that was unveiled afterwards is nothing short of regular.
After posting the message to Facebook, the man was shocked to discover that someone had actually known the note’s author. Even better, it was the author’s older sister, who had been with her when the note was initially thrown into the water back in 1973.
Sadly, the author passed away from breast cancer before she could be notified of her note having been found. However, it’s safe to say that this brought one family’s small story full circle.
A Routine Cleanup Led to an Incredible Discovery
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The news itself was shared by Inside Edition, which also interviewed both the boater and the note’s author’s sister. John Kauterman somehow discovered the bottle while helping clean and restore the New Jersey waters as part of the Tidelands Initiative.
After realizing just how old the bottle was, he opened it up and discovered a rather interesting note inside, signed by a woman named Laurie Blair. Even funnier, the note said that should it ever be found, “please notify my family that a band of ruthless sponge figherman is forcing me to dive for them in shark-infested waters!”
He posted the note on Facebook in hopes of locating Laurie. Of course, social media was able to do its thing and lead him directly to Laurie’s sister, Allison.
Facebook Helped Solve a 50-Year-Old Mystery
Sadly, Laurie had passed away several years prior from breast cancer, but her sister remembers her for being “a jokester.” After discovering the note again after all these years, Allison said, “It’s a very special connection to a great time in our lives.”
The note itself was penned in 1973, when Allison was 16, and Laurie was 9. Despite it being signed by Laurie, the note was actually written by Allison, who tossed it off the coast of Ocean City, New Jersey, while on a family vacation.
Interestingly, it only traveled about 20 miles to Avalon, New Jersey, where it was ultimately found. To celebrate the note being found, both Kauterman and Allison Facetimed one another to talk and connect.
Comments Celebrate the Heartwarming Reunion While Others Question the Story
The story quickly resonated with viewers, many of whom said they appreciated seeing something uplifting in their news feeds. One commenter wrote, “We need more stories like this,” while another added, “Glad to see some heartfelt moments for a change.”
Others focused on the emotional aspect of the decades-old message, finally making its way back to its author. One person said it felt like “your sister saying hi,” while another recalled drinking Coca-Cola from glass bottles in the 1970s, saying the discovery brought back a wave of nostalgia.
Not everyone was convinced, however. Several viewers questioned whether the bottle and message had really spent more than 50 years in the water, with some calling it a prank and others pointing out that the bottle had reportedly traveled only about 20 miles.
A few even joked that the woman should be charged with littering, while others wondered if modern forensic testing, such as DNA analysis, could verify the note’s authenticity.