MONTEREY, Calif. -- More than two years ago, a group of California fishermen threw a message in a bottle into the sea in memory of their friend who passed away. Two weeks ago, they got it back from someone thousands of miles away, KSBW-TV reported.

"We (all) met fishing and stayed together fishing for 30 years," John Saunders said of the group.

Thirty years of fishing, wine drinking and friendship took a sudden turn in 2007 when a member of the group, Bob Dubcich, passed away from a rare form of cancer.

"It was serious, but we always thought he'd make it because he was the strong one," said Brian Kariya.

Dubcich was just days away from turning 60.

"When fishermen lose fishermen, it hurts. Hurts our heart. We loved him," Saunders said.

The eight friends-turned-family decided to send their friend out to where he loved to be -- the sea -- through a message in a bottle. Inside was a letter rolled up.

One night in August 2007, just south of San Diego, Saunders said he "threw (Dubcich) over into the waters and gave him a last goodbye." Or so they thought.

Inside the letter the friends put $20 as a down payment.

"(We said) if anyone found the bottle, send it back and we'd send you $100 so we made sure we'd get it back," Saunders said.

About two weeks ago, they got their special delivery.

"Guess where they found it? In the Philippines," Kariya said.

"To send him on a trip for 10,000 miles was bigger and better than anything we'd ever expected," Saunders said.

The man who found the message was Abner Murrillo, of the Philippines. Murrillo picked up the bottle and sent it back to the group of friends -- a special little miracle from one fisherman to many others.

"He's got to understand that this is a freaking miracle. This bottle made it across that ocean into his hands," said Kariya.

"If he ever comes to America, he's going fishing with us. We're taking him, period," Saunders said.

The three friends sat down Monday night to write a check to the fellow fisherman who completed Dubcich's trip home, but it's not the end of this story.

"I would like to continue the friendship. He might have some great fishing over there," John Hannegan said.

As for just how the bottle made that seemingly impossible journey across the Pacific, the guys seem to think Dubcich may have been baiting them.

"Bob had one hand on that bottle. He was steering the bottle," Kariya said.

"Three years he had his line in the water and he caught the boys and we're back," Saunders said.

The fishermen upped their reward for Murrillo on Monday, writing a check for double the original amount to $200.