Family finds lost message in a bottle from Ireland along Jersey shore

WILDWOOD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A New Jersey family is searching for a stranger in Ireland after discovering a message in a bottle along the shore.

While visiting Wildwood last week, Frank Bolger, his wife, and his granddaughter went for a walk on the beach.

Bolger said they have a routine.

"Set our beach chairs out, put our blanket down, get everything set, and then we go for a walk," he said.

On their walk, they pick up trash on the beach in an effort to help the environment.

As they were picking up trash in the area of 14th Street last Wednesday, Bolger's wife stumbled upon a bottle in the seaweed.

Bolger said they found a note in the small bottle. He and his family went home and used tweezers to retrieve the letter and read it.

It reads, "Greetings from Ireland. I have thrown this bottle into the sea for someone to find another day. Maybe it traveled down to Africa or up to Iceland. I won't know if someone found this, but I hope it is found."

The note was signed by someone named 'Aoife.' It was dated July 17, 2019.

When Bolger and his family realized what they had found, they told the Wildwood Sun magazine.

Bolger said when people in the community read about their discovery, word started to spread.

"With North Wildwood having a huge Irish population, people started sharing it with Ireland," he recalled.

Since then, Bolger has had several conversations with news outlets in Ireland that are trying to help him find Aoife.

Bolger said he and his family have been overwhelmed by the response to their story.

They always wondered what treasure they would find along the seashore, but Bolger said this is better than they ever could have imagined.

"Granted it's not monetary worth, but the value is priceless," Bolger said. "It's something we'll never forget."