Message-in-a-Bottle Marriage Proposal Ends Up With Couple Stranded on Island

Nathan Bluestein came up with a novel way to propose to his girlfriend, May Gorial. Unfortunately the romantic gesture literally swept her away...

It began innocently enough: Bluestein tucked a French poem (ending with an introduction to his proposal) into a bottle; he even antiqued the paper by dipping it in tea and burning the edges.

Then he took Gorial on a canoe ride on Michigan's Wild Fowl Bay. When she wasn't looking, he dropped the hidden bottle into the water. When they noticed it floating in the water and pulled it out, Gorial, a French teacher, began translating the note for Bluestein. Everything worked perfectly: she accepted his proposal.

But in all of his planning, Bluestein failed to note the weather conditions. And as they basked in post-engagement bliss, the wind pushed them further and further from the shore. To make matters worse, the current picked up and the pair had to paddle hard just to stand still.

As Gorial became seasick, they were forced to seek refuge on an unoccupied island. Bluestein had been able to contact the local sheriff's office on his cellphone, but thanks to a GPS sequence error they started the search on the wrong side of island.

Day became night and the couple was still stranded.

"While we were on the island we got to see the sunset and the moonrise on the opposite side of the horizon. And it was a full moon, big and beautiful. Just as it was getting pitch dark and night was falling, they showed up," Bluestein explained.

Despite the romantic scenery, the pair were quite happy when they were finally found. In fact, they were so grateful they immediately added their rescuers to their nascent wedding guest list.