German man shocked to see marriage proposal on Google Maps

Mr Schwarz's aunt told him the message was visible on Google Maps

A German man's marriage proposal has been captured in an aerial picture used by Google Maps, to the surprise of him and his fiancée.

Part-time farmer Steffen Schwarz spelled out the words "Will you marry me?" in German in a field of corn, according to local media reports.

The 32-year-old then got his girlfriend to fly a drone over the field last year, revealing the romantic message.

But his proposal got a bigger audience than he had planned.

Mr Schwarz told local media that he had no idea his proposal had appeared on the popular mapping service until he was alerted by an aunt in Canada who sent him a screenshot.

The proposal, which he spelled out using a seeding machine, extends across the entire width of the almost two-hectare (five-acre) field in Huettenberg, central Germany.

Mr Schwarz told local news site hessenschau.de that he told his girlfriend he had seen wild boars in the field when he asked her to fly a drone over it.

"At first she couldn't see it [the proposal] because the drone wasn't flying high enough. But when she realised, she said yes immediately," he said.

The couple now plan to marry in June and the drone may be used again - this time for wedding photos.

You might also like:

• Is this the most elaborate marriage proposal ever?

• 'Freeze... and marry me!' - Russians who propose at gunpoint

• Who are the couple in this hilltop proposal photo?