Florida fishermen find message in bottle from 2006

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Charter Captain Tyler Vollmer has spent a lot of time on the water and says he’s seen almost everything in the six years he’s spent with Fired Up Fishing Charters.

“We see a lot of floating trash out there."

So when a customer wanted to pick up some trash from the ocean, Tyler says he didn't think twice.

“So he took one of my bait nets and he dipped it out and at the time I said, ‘Ya know? That might be a message in a bottle’ and he turned around and looked at me and said, ‘It is a message in a bottle!’"

The red bottle shaped like a heart made a life in the water for more than a decade. The letter inside dated February 14, 2006 and is written to Rory from Emily.  Typed on the note are the lyrics to Jim Croce's song "Time in a Bottle" and handwritten next the lyrics is a more personal message.

"Despite everything there is no one else I'd rather love and spend the rest of my life with.”

Vollmer says he was surprised at the bottle’s condition.

“Twelve-year-old note that was passed down in that bottle. It's pretty amazing that it actually made it that far kind[a] unscathed…the paper wasn't wet whatsoever. There was very little growth, to hardly none, you know? Usually you'll see a barnacle or something."

But the big question is: how did Rory & Emily's story end? Vollmer hopes there’s a happy ending.

"I hope you guys do find each other… If you guys are not seeing each other now, hopefully the story will kind of rekindle a relationship and you guys get back together. My God, what a story that would be if we could get you guys back together."

The story of Emily and Rory is no longer in the water. The customer who spotted the bottle, took it home.