Mum's ashes put to sea to 'travel the world'

A composite picture shows an image of ashes and a message in a clear glass bottle on sand, with three shells placed next to it. The second image shows someone's hands holding down a handwritten note next to the bottle. The note says: "This is my mum. Throw her back in - she's travelling the world. Thanks Cara, Oldham".Image source, Kelly Sheridan
Image caption,

Cara Melia said her mum had been unable to travel in her lifetime

  • Published

A woman has sent her mum's ashes out to sea in a bottle so she could fulfil her unrealised dream of travelling the world.

Cara Melia, from Oldham, said her 51-year-old mum Wendy Chadwick's responsibilities as a single parent of five had meant she had not been able to see the world before her death in February.

Ms Melia put the ashes in a bottle with a note that said: "This is my mum. Throw her back in - she's travelling the world. Thanks Cara, Oldham."

The bottle was put in the sea in Skegness to "see where she ends up".

After the bottle was found on the same beach 12 hours later, a Facebook post about it went viral.

The bottle was returned to the sea.

Ms Melia told BBC Radio Manchester that she hoped it would travel further this time.

Ms Melia, 24, said: "Life happened and my mum never got a chance to travel.

"Nobody was meant to find her for a bit - she was meant to be in a completely different country.

"I'd love her to end up on a beach in Barbados or Spain, which would definitely take a while."

A composite picture with a photo of Wendy Chadwick. Wendy Chadwick is looking at the camera. She has long dark hair and a nose ring and a gold necklace and white top. Cara Melia is smiling, with her eyes closed, while holding the note put into the bottle. She has blonde hair which is tied up and is wearing glasses.Image source, Cara Melia
Image caption,

Wendy Chadwick's ashes were put to sea in Skegness

Ms Melia added she had originally planned to scatter her mum's ashes on a beach, but her cousin and best friend then came up with the bottle idea.

They decided to put it into the sea on Monday while they were on holiday in Skegness.

She said her mum, who died from a heart condition, was a "very quirky kind of person" who "absolutely loved the beach and sun" and would be giggling about this.

Wendy Chadwick is pictured with her two daughters and three sons. They appear to be in a pub. They are all smiling. One of Ms Chadwick's sons has his arms around his mum and one of his sisters. Another of her son's has his arm around one of her daughters.Image source, Cara Melia
Image caption,

Mum-of-five and grandmother-of-six Wendy Chadwick died from an undiagnosed heart condition, her daughter said

Ms Melia said she thanked the woman who found the bottle, who told her it was an honour to have done so.

She said she expected the Facebook post about the discovery of the bottle to get about five shares, not to go viral as it did.

"I wasn't expecting it to go viral and to touch as many people as it has."

Ms Melia said she was looking forward to seeing where her mum's ashes might be found next.

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