How far would you go for a fleeting human connection? For one man in Utah, the answer is: pretty much anywhere.
Clint Buffington spends his time where land meets sea, searching for a very specific treasure: messages in bottles that have drifted across oceans and decades. Over the past twenty years, Clint has recovered more than 140 bottles, each one carrying secrets that as Clint says, ‘make the world feel a little smaller – and maybe a little better, too.’
The messages reveal remarkable journeys: a German sailor who cast a note into the Bermuda Triangle on his birthday in 1979; three French women who paddled across the Atlantic to set a world record; Puerto Rican students at a crossroads; even a pair of tiny dolls wrapped in a spell.
Returned to Sender is a heart-warming story, full of magic and wonder. At a time when division and despair seem to dominate, Clint reminds us that genuine human connection is still worth seeking…
One Story Found In Another
The origins of Returned to Sender trace back to research for another Sound and Bones BBC4 documentary, Dark Crossing. While searching for the captain of a sailing boat, producers discovered that Clint had found one of his bottles. As is often the case, what began as a lead turned into a story of its own. ‘Returned to Sender has been a passion project long before we started making radio documentaries,’ say the producers. ‘Thanks to the folks at BBC Radio 4 and sheer persistence, we’re thrilled to finally share Clint’s remarkable journey with listeners worldwide.’
PRESENTER: CLINT BUFFINGTON
A musician and writer in Salt Lake City, Utah, Clint also runs the website Message in a Bottle Hunter, where he shares true stories of messages in bottles found by himself and others, while raising awareness about the ocean’s plastic pollution crisis.
About BBC Radio 4’s Illuminated
Illuminated is BBC Radio 4’s home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries that shed light on hidden worlds.
Return to Sender was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 12th October 2025 at 7.15pm.
Original Music by Pat Moran
Pat is a composer/multi-instrumentalist/music director/educator. Originally from the United States, in 2015 he moved to Bristol in the UK. His primary instruments are guitars and basses but he also regularly plays mandolin, keyboards, trombone, banjo, drums/percussion and occasionally cornet. To hear more of Pat’s music head to www.patmoran.co.uk
Pick of the Week – Guvna B
Every Sunday on Radio 4 there is a programme that highlights the best radio of the week from all of the hundreds of programmes across all of BBC radio. On the 19th October 2025, Pick of the week was presented by Guvna B, and Returned to Sender was one of programmes chosen! Here’s the programme description:
There’s a theme of writing this week, as Radio 1’s Richie Brave covers the sometimes controversial world of spoken word poetry on 1Xtra Talks. Dame Rose Tremain is on This Cultural Life, discussing how writing helped her process a difficult childhood, and Illuminated brings us the enduring appeal (and life span) of the simple message in a bottle. Plus, one very special young photographer who is capturing hearts as well as photos on PM.
