Message in a bottle found in Louisiana river after nearly 40 years

Jan. 20 (UPI) -- A man sailing on a Louisiana river found a nearly 40-year-old message in a bottle and was able to contact the author.

Jeremy Weir, of Coast, Miss., said he was sailing on the Pearl River near Bogalusa, La., when he spotted an old Grolsch beer bottle in the water.

Weir brought the bottle home, where his wife noticed something inside. She opened the bottle and found a handwritten message from 3-year-old David Blanks.

The message, apparently written with the help of Blanks' relatives, was dated June 4, 1983, and included a phone number that turned out to be a landline still used by his parents.

Blanks' parents gave Weir his current phone number and he was able to contact the now-adult message author.

Blanks talked with relatives who were present when he threw the bottle into the water, and learned it had been thrown in near the city of Pearl River, about 35 miles from where Weir found it.

Weir said he hopes to meet with Blanks soon to return the bottle and message.