A message in a bottle tossed into the Atlantic by a Canadian couple in 2012 has been discovered on a beach in Ireland, 2,000 miles from its origin. Brad and Anita Squires, who were visiting Bell Island in Newfoundland, sent the message out to sea during a day trip. The note, which outlined their enjoyable day together, included a request for whoever found it to contact them.
The couple’s note read: “Anita and Brad’s day trip to Bell Island. Today, we enjoyed dinner, this bottle of wine and each other, at the edge of the island.” It concluded with a phone number and a heartfelt invitation to connect. “I gave it everything I had,” Brad Squires told The Canadian Press. “We didn’t see it hit the water; it was too high up. I just assumed it smashed on the rocks.”
Surprisingly, the bottle withstood the elements of the Atlantic for over a decade. Recently, it washed ashore at Scraggane Bay in the Maharees Peninsula along the southwest coast of Ireland. On Monday, the bottle was discovered by locals Kate and Jon Gay, who shared the find with a community conservation group.
Kate Gay expressed her excitement, stating, “Really? A message in a bottle? Really? Wow!” After finding the bottle, the couple decided to wait until later that evening to open it, enhancing the anticipation of the moment. Gay is a community partner of the Maharees Conservation Association, which is dedicated to enhancing coastal resilience through community engagement.
Reflecting on the bottle’s journey, Gay remarked, “That bottle had survived so many storms that have caused damage, erosion, and flooding in Maharees… yet it arrived on our beach, that day, a little weathered but holding strong!” Later that evening, the Maharees Conservation Association shared photos of the bottle and its message on social media, which quickly went viral.
The post captured the imagination of many, stating, “Such a long way to travel and such a long time to get here but we got it! Now if only Anita and Brad would just answer the phone they told us to call them on!” Gay added, “It seems we let a genie out of that bottle!”
Within an hour, the Squires—now married with three children and residing in Newfoundland—confirmed their identities to the conservation group. Brad Squires expressed their feelings of connection, saying, “Anita and I both feel like we have new friends, and we’re all equally amazed.” The couple is set to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary next year, coinciding with the conservation association’s tenth anniversary.
“This is such a romantic story—and it has brought joy to so many,” Gay said. She described the message in a bottle as evolving from a time capsule of a cherished moment on Bell Island to a powerful symbol of resilience and the positive ripple effects of human connections.
As the tale of the Squires’ message continues to captivate hearts, it serves as a reminder of the enduring power of hope and the unexpected journeys that messages can undertake across time and distance.
