Message in a Bottle Sender Found After 68 Years

After 68 years, the sender of a message in a bottle discovered in the Rhine River near Oberwesel has been found. The message, cast into the river in 1958, was written by a woman who is now 90 years old and resides in the Eifel region, confirmed Mayor Jan Zimmer (CDU).

At the time, the woman worked as a ship's cook aboard the "Drachenfels," a vessel that traveled between Koblenz and Mainz. This aligns with the message itself, which was written on the back of a ship's menu from 1958. In her note, the woman expressed a wish for pen pals. The bottle, however, lay undiscovered in the earth for decades before being unearthed during recent construction work.

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I am totally surprised that I actually found someone.

Solving the mystery of the sender's identity required considerable detective work. Although she had noted her address, street names, town affiliations, and surnames had changed over the nearly 70 years. Mayor Zimmer received assistance from a residents' registration office, and eventually, the sender's daughter contacted him. "I am totally surprised that I actually found someone," the mayor stated.

The sender herself has little recollection of this particular message. "Apparently, people used to throw messages in bottles overboard more often back then," Zimmer noted. It's unlikely the ship's cook expected a reply when she tossed the bottle into the river. Nevertheless, the letter has now reached someone, albeit with a significant delay. The message is likely to be displayed in the city museum, possibly at the Rhine riverbank if a suitable location is found during ongoing renovations.

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Apparently, people used to throw messages in bottles overboard more often back then.