From Long Eaton to Norway: How a girl's message in a bottle travelled 1000 miles


A 10-year-old girl from Long Eaton wrote a message in a bottle and threw it into the sea in July 2020, and 8 months later it's been found on the coast of Norway.

Lilly Carter was on holiday with her family at Chapel St Leonard's beach in Lincolnshire last year, when she and her sister decided to reuse their glass water bottles to send a message out to sea.

The girls had no paper with them, so they wrote the messages on a piece of kitchen towel.


10 year old Lilly Carter sent her message in July 2020 and it travelled 1,200 to Norway by sea Credit: Claire Marie Pentecost

Lilly's bottle has since been found by Ida Christine A Hødnebø and her 8-year-old son, on a rocky beach outside the city of Kragerø, Norway.


Credit: ITV News Central

Ida posted a photo of the message on Facebook, and after over 3,000 shares and a post in the local Long Eaton community group, the message got back to Lilly's mum.

Claire Pentecost, Lilly's mum, said she couldn't believe the message even survived the journey.

"The fact that somebody found it and went out their way to find us online is really great. Lilly will always remember it."


This is what Lilly's message said:


The family are hoping that the second message in a bottle, sent by Lilly's 11-year old-sister Chloe, washes up somewhere even further away.


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