A Couple Traveling Through Australia Thought They Discovered A Message In A Bottle, But They Accidentally Just Dumped Out The Remains Of A Man Who Wanted His Ashes To Journey The Seas After He Passed Away

R. Gino Santa Maria - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only
R. Gino Santa Maria - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

Out at sea, there’s a strong chance you’ll come across some pretty strange but fascinating things. From bizarre marine wildlife to messages in bottles, the ocean’s current will bring the unexpected to your shores.

A couple traveling around Australia were on a beach in northern Queensland when they noticed that a glass bottle with a note in it had washed ashore. To their dismay, they did not exactly find a message in that bottle.

The couple who made the discovery, Rick and Crystal (@auslapourway), posted a video on TikTok documenting their find and the precise moment when they realized what they had stumbled across.

After scooping the bottle out of the water, Rick handed it over to Crystal. She unscrewed the lid and stuck her finger into the narrow hole to try to retrieve the piece of paper at the bottom of the bottle.

In the process, they dumped out what appeared to be a bunch of sand that had somehow gotten inside.

Soon enough, they gave up their efforts and resorted to reading the first few words of the note through the glass.

They discovered that the bottle had contained the ashes of a man named Geoffrey, who they had just scattered all over the beach.

“If found, please throw bottle into outgoing tide so I can continue my journey,” Crystal read the rest of the note in dismay. Apparently, the man had wanted his remains to travel the watery world after his passing.

The practice of sending messages in bottles out to sea is an old one. They have been used to send distress signals, love letters, or last words from those believing themselves to be doomed.

R. Gino Santa Maria – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

In addition, they were also used to send the ashes of deceased loved ones on their final journeys.

In the comments section, many TikTok users tried to console the couple.

“Seeing how there were almost no ashes left, I’d say you weren’t the first to open the bottle, but definitely the last,” one user speculated.

“Maybe the point was that every time someone tried to get the note, some ashes would be spread in that place,” pointed out another.

“I mean, Geoff will be taken back out when the tide shifts and the sand rolls out with it,” commented a third.

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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