Additional Coverage:
A heartwarming tale of love, the sea, and social media has connected a Canadian couple with an Irish conservation group. Thirteen years ago, Brad and Anita Squires, then dating, tossed a message in a bottle into the Atlantic during a romantic trip to Bell Island, Newfoundland. They never imagined it would survive, let alone travel over 2,000 miles.
Fast forward to this week, when Kate and Jon Gay discovered the weathered bottle on Scraggane Bay in Ireland. “Really?
A message in a bottle? Really?
Wow!” Kate exclaimed, describing the moment of discovery.
Inside, a note recounted the couple’s idyllic day and included their phone number.
The Maharees Conservation Association, with which Kate is involved, shared the find on Facebook, hoping to locate the mysterious “Anita and Brad.” The post quickly went viral, and within an hour, the Squires, now married with three children and still living in Newfoundland, responded.
Both couples were overjoyed by the connection. “Anita and I both feel like we have new friends,” Brad shared, marveling at the unlikely reunion. Adding to the serendipity, both the Squires’ upcoming 10th wedding anniversary and the conservation association’s 10th anniversary coincide next year.
The story has resonated with people worldwide, transforming from a simple message in a bottle into a symbol of connection, resilience, and the power of social media. As Kate Gay aptly put it, “It’s such a romantic story – and it has brought joy to so many.”