Alaska man discovers message in bottle from Russian navy

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A 50-year-old letter in a bottle was discovered by a man on the shores of western Alaska connecting him with the Russian navy.

Anchorage television station KTUU reported that Tyler Ivanoff found the handwritten Russian letter early this month while gathering firewood near Shishmaref.

Officials say Ivanoff posted photos on Facebook where Russian speakers translated the message to be a greeting from the Russian navy dated 1969.

Officials say Russian reporters located the original writer, Capt. Anatoliy Botsanenko.

Botsanenko says he sent the message while aboard the Sulak.

Botsanenko was skeptical he was the writer until he saw his signature at the bottom of the note. He said he was 36 when he wrote the note.

Nome radio station KNOM was the first to report Ivanoff’s discovery