California family seeks author of 28-year-old message in a bottle

MENDOCINO, Calif., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- A California family is trying to track down the author of a 28-year-old message in a bottle discovered by a 5-year-old boy.

Heather Baird said her son, Ryder Goggin, found a bottle containing a handwritten message while walking along the Mendocino coastline on Dec. 30, which was also the boy's fifth birthday.

"I definitely thought of pirates and maybe even a treasure map," Baird told KTXL-TV.

The note found inside the bottle reads: "Hi my name is Chris. I am 10 years old and in the 5th grade. I live in Sacramento. Call me when you find this to let me know where it washed ashore. September 5th 1988."

The note bears a phone number that Baird said is now out of service.

"I think it would be great to find Chris. And find out where he put the bottle in the water," Baird said. "Well, I hope we find out really good things about how his life went."