Bottle From Lake Michigan Ends Up on Florida Beach

Gather round, kids.

Once upon a time, before we were concerned with the Great Pacific garbage patch and nobody worried about dolphins swallowing balloons, kids used to put messages in bottles and throw them in large bodies of water, or attach cards to helium balloons (my personal "go to" method) and let them fly (In fact, sometimes it was a class project).

I tell you this to demonstrate I'm no stranger to the world of random message sending. Which brings us to Gary Henrickson, of Santa Rosa, Florida. According to the Detroit Free Press, Gary was swimming in Florida on Memorial Day, when he found a bottle with a message in it. Written in 1995 and thrown into Lake Michigan near Frankfort, MI. The note contained the following message:

"Hello. I’ve tossed this bottle into the water to bring joy to anyone who finds it,” the note says. “This whiskey bottle was full a few short hours earlier. If you find this, call (number listed) and I'll buy you a drink.” 

So, Gary texted the number (the guy immediately answered. Hmm, impressive - same textable number 25 years later?) and then called the guy, who Gary says doesn't want his name published. According to the Free Press, there IS a way the bottle could've made the 1100 mile trip to the Gulf of Mexico, starting with the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Note to Gary - I wouldn't touch anything that came out of there. (Google it)

I just hope Gary gets his free drink. Here's the story.