A Father and Son From Texas Find a Message in a Bottle on the Beach and Find the Person Who It Was Meant for

A treasure-hunting trip A father and son in Texas just found the most valuable thing they have ever found.

Markus Hogue from Austin and his 12-year-old son Gabriel were looking for shells on Padre Island in the southern Gulf of Mexico on June 1. They saw what looked like a pile of trash. They did see a bottle sticking out of the mess, though.

“I walked across it while my son was out there looking for something to get his mom and his girlfriend,” Hogue told USA TODAY on Wednesday. “Thought it was trash and it ended up being a message in the bottle.”

When Gabriel first saw the pictures of seahorses on the bottle, he thought it might hold a treasure map.

Angel Gabriel told USA TODAY, “I was shocked and happy at the same time.” “All the excitement was just rushing through.”

Hogue, 42, said they didn’t know the letter inside was written in Spanish until they opened the bottle and saw what looked like German writing.

The letter says in Spanish, “I’m sending you this message to let you know how much Mom and Dad love you.” “I love you, daughter, never forget it.”

When Hogue first saw the letter, he thought it was written for a dead daughter.

He chose to text a number that was written in the letter, and within 10 minutes, he heard back. To his surprise, the person he meant to send the letter to replied, and she was still living.

Keyla Collazo from Colorado Springs told Hogue that her parents wrote her the letter while they were on a cruise in Mexico last August because she couldn’t go with them. Her parents live in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Collazo told USA TODAY, “They told me that they threw a bottle in the river, but that’s about it.” “We didn’t think it would go anywhere… It came as a surprise. “I still talk about it with my kids.”

He told the dad and kid they could keep the letter.

Collazo said it was fine for Hogue and his son to keep the letter, but Hogue said he’d give it back to the family whenever they asked.

It’s going to be framed, along with other pictures from Hogue and Gabriel’s amazing beach trip, he said.

On other treasure hunts, the father and son have found gold coins, but Hogue said it’s the letter that means the most.