Frozen message in a bottle washes up on shore in Norway – 16 years after Shetland couple tossed it into the sea
- Helene Hundeide, from Måløy, Norway, found a frozen message in a bottle
- Message was posted in 2004 by Peter and Susan Henry from Noonsbrough
- Couple were on a yacht heading home to Shetland after 10-day sailing trip
A frozen message in a bottle washed up on the shore in Norway 16 years after a couple from Shetland tossed it into the sea during a sailing trip.
Helene Hundeide, from Måløy, was walking in nearby Vombaneset on Saturday when she made the startling discovery.
The 24-year-old was looking for a place to set up her hammock and make a fire when she spotted the frozen bottle.
Inside she found a message posted on August 7, 2004 by Peter and Susan Henry from Noonsbrough.
The message said the couple were on the yacht Vega, heading home after 10 days sailing around Unst – and asked anyone who found the note to get in touch.
Helene Hundeide, from Måløy, was walking in nearby Vombaneset on Saturday when she made the startling discovery
Inside she found a message posted on August 7, 2004 by Peter and Susan Henry from Noonsbrough
‘It was very exciting,’ said Ms Hundeide. ‘I have never found a bottle mail before, and that it would be as old as 16 years – wow!
‘That was absolutely incredible.’
Ms Hundeide, who maintains power lines, tried to contact the couple via the email address listed on the note but found it was out of use.
She then posted the photo on a local Facebook group and it was shared on the Stories n Photos o Maritime Shetland page, where several people recognised its senders.
A frozen message in a bottle washed up on the shore in Norway 16 years after a couple from Shetland tossed it into the sea during a sailing trip
‘It was very exciting,’ said Ms Hundeide. ‘I have never found a bottle mail before, and that it would be as old as 16 years – wow!’
The story was also picked up by the Fjordenes Tidende newspaper in Måløy.
With the help of Facebook users, Ms Hundeide was able to contact Mr Henry within an hour.
‘He was surprised that the bottle post had been found after so many years,’ said Ms Hundeide.
Ms Hundeide has also spoken to Mrs Henry and says they’re both ‘very nice people’ whom she hopes to visit in Noonsbrough when the pandemic is over.
‘It looks like a beautiful place,’ she said. ‘I love to travel, so that’s the next destination I will visit.’
In the meantime, Ms Hundeide says she plans to frame the message. ‘It is in good condition, so this is a memory for life,’ she added.