‘It feels like we got a piece of Alana back’: tragic story behind family’s find

Bob and Melanie Cooper found a bottle filled with special messages washed ashore at Agnes Water.

MIRACLE FIND: Melanie and Bob Cooper with the bottle they found.

IT WAS by chance that Agnes Water's Bob and Melanie Cooper found a bottle filled with heartfelt farewell messages that led them the de Kort family.

The pair was walking along the beach when they came across the bottle, which had washed ashore.

The messages inside were the personal words of Alana de Kort's family and friends shared at a celebration of life following the teenager's death.

The story made national headlines this week when the miracle encounter was broadcast on The Project.

Speaking to The Project, the Coopers said it wasn't until they got home that they realised they had found a bottle multiple messages within, all of which were in tribute to Alana, a young girl who tragically lost her battle with Ewing's sarcoma in July last year.

Believing that they would never lay eyes on that bottle again, the de Kort family was more than surprised to get a call from Ms Cooper saying it had been found.

"The arrival of that bottle on that day, that darkness and sadness kind of gets pushed back a bit and a bit of happiness and beauty comes back in," dad Paul said.

In a teary-eyed meeting, Ms Cooper said they were happy to have been able to get the bottle back to the de Korts.

"It definitely does feel like we got a bit of Alana back," brother Jake said.

"Especially considering the journey the bottle went on and how surreal that experience is."

Mum Jacqui de Kort said there was a number of special coincidences throughout this journey which made them believe it was a message from Alana.

Originally published as ‘It feels like we got a piece of Alana back’: tragic story behind family’s find