Man's Message in a Bottle Seeking Pen Pal Found 50 Years Later

Paul Gilmore was 13-years-old when he wrote a letter, placed it in a bottle then hurled it into the ocean. The note was short and simple -- he was looking for a pen pal. Fifty years later that pen pal came along. Nine-year-old Jyah Elliott was wandering along South Australia's Talia Beach on Tuesday when he came across the message in a bottle. And promptly responded by mail, Australia's ABC News reported.

"He was so excited," his mother, Carla Elliott, told the news outlet. It turns out that Gilmore is currently iba cruise in the Baltic and is in for a big surprise upon his return.

"It's amazing, absolutely incredible," his sister Annie Crossland said.

His younger brother, David Gilmore, said he could recognize Paul's handwriting in the letter.

"It's really strange. I'm looking at the message now and yeah, I can see it's my brother's writing — he's obviously a bit younger then," he told ABC.

Paul wrote the letter on November 17, 1969, and set it loose into the ocean while he and his family were traveling from England to their new home in Australia. He included his future address, writing "We are 1,000 miles east of Fremantle, Western Australia … please reply."

Jyah has sent his reply in a letter that will arrive at his newfound pen pal’s Mitcham address. Paul’s family has assured the nine-year-old that he will be receiving a reply soon.

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