Ten years at sea: Patch from Usedom bottle mail ensures surprise!

Ten years at sea: Patch from Usedom bottle mail ensures surprise!

A fascinating story about the discovery of a bottle mail is currently causing excitement in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. After exactly ten years in the sea, a bottle, which was thrown into the water in October 2015 by Jörg Wanke from Heringsdorf, Usedom, was found in the Caribbean. The Finder, Clint Buffington, a 40-year-old musician and bottle post collector from Salt Lake City, found the bottle on the beach while walking. In it he discovered an old, heavily faded postcard with a sailing ship motif, from which the handwritten year 2015 was still read, as picture reported.

Wanke remembers the day when he threw the bottle into the sea together with his wife Cornelia. He even took a photo before the bottle fell into the water and now feels a special way to the adventure of his bottle mail. "I am thrilled that she was found and hope to meet Clint soon," he said in an interview for exciting feedback about his message from afar. Buffington has already made the first contacts with people in Germany who know the Wanke, and both are now connected by email.

a piece of history

The story of the bottle mail is not only romantic, but also has a practical origin. Bottle items were often used by captains in the 19th century to transmit experiences about marine currents and navigation. At that time, the method of throwing reading letters overboard not only served fun, but science. As described BSH, there is a unique collection of bottle items worldwide that provide insights into historical and meteorological data.

Overall, the likelihood that a piece of bottle will ever be found is relatively low and is around 10%. Nevertheless, the idea of ​​sending a message over the water is still associated with excitement and anticipation. In particular, the bottle of Wanke now has the potential to close new friendships and to beat bridges over the Atlantic.

Current events in the region

While the bottle mail story is amazed, there are also other exciting news from the region. In Wolgast, 20 barrier -free apartments are currently being renovated, which are equipped with elevators. This measure should be completed in spring 2026, which will improve living comfort for many to offer it a better quality of life, such as Ostsee-Zeitung reported.

Another current incident on Usedom shows the importance of quick help: a Berlin vacationer suffered a heart attack and was quickly supplied by the committed reaction of emergency services. Andreas Rath, the patient, expressly thanked for the quick and competent support.

Last but not least, Toni Kroos will be awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on July 18 in Greifswald, an honor that is personally presented by Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig. At the same time, the finalists of the Feuerheld OZ campaign were announced in 2025, including Tim Nahrstedt from the Kühlungsborn volunteer fire brigade.

The region remains alive and diverse in its stories and events - both in retrospect with an old bottle mail and considering current developments in social and cultural life.