Rockport Man's Message In A Bottle Gets Response From France 9 Years Later

ROCKPORT (CBS) -- A Massachusetts man received an answer to his message in a bottle about a decade after he threw it into the Atlantic Ocean. Max Vredenburgh said he vividly remembers vividly being 10 years old and throwing a wine bottle into the water at Long Beach in Rockport.

A month ago, his parents received a surprise letter in the mail. The man who found Vredenburgh's note on a beach in France replied.

"Logistically, I think I have a higher chance of winning the lottery than this happening," Vredenburgh said. His note was dated August 21, 2010.

"When I first read his letter, my heart, my stomach just dropped. I was like, 'oh my God. My 10-year-old wish just came true. This is insane.'"

The reply letter, signed by G. Dubois, said it took nine years to cover the 6,000 kilometers that separate them and a lot must have changed since then.

Vredenburgh's original note said, in part: "I'm 10 years old. I like apples, I like the beach. My favorite color is blue. I like animals. I like cars and I like outer space. Please write back."

His tweet about the letter went viral on Twitter.

"This kind of made me reflect back on who I used to be," said Vredenburgh.

Now, he is curious about G. Dubois. "I want to know about him. I want to know if he likes, what his favorite food is, what his favorite color is. Does he like space?" Vredenburgh smiled.

Thanks to the power of social media, they have connected on Instagram.