Brothers Find Man Behind 1976 Message In A Bottle That Traveled 1,200 Miles

May 12, 2025

Clint and Evan Buffington were stunned when they discovered an old Pepsi bottle on a beach in the Bahamas—with a handwritten note inside. The letter, dated May 1976, was penned by Peter Thompson, then a ninth-grade student from Massachusetts.

Nearly five decades ago, he had tossed the bottle into the Merrimack River as a fun experiment, never expecting it to resurface 1,200 miles away.

Curious and determined, the Buffington brothers tracked down Peter, now 63, and shared the incredible journey his message had taken.