'Borrowed' life buoy returned to Interislander 20 years later

The life buoy was returned to Interislander after it was borrowed 20 years prior. Photo / Supplied

A mystery package was sent to the Wellington Interisland crew last week, with an apology letter attached confessing to stealing the item 20 years prior.

The Arahura lifebuoy and been taken in the early 2000s from a scheduled crossing, according to Interislander.

The letter attached reads: "Hello, this is something I have wanted to do for some time – return this life ring to its rightful owner. Took possession of this life ring on a ferry crossing in early 2000s and I'm sorry. Please restore this to the owner on my behalf!"

The letter sent by mystery man 'Dan'. Photo / Supplied

The message was signed by "Dan". He had provided his last name but that was redacted by Interislander.

Liam Fay, Interislander terminals manager, said there are no hard feelings towards the thief, and they are stoked to have the piece of history returned.

"It truly is a piece of Interislander and New Zealand's history. It's especially touching as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Interislander connecting the North and South Islands," said Fay.

The Arahura sailed the Cook Strait between 1983 and 2015 and completed more than 52,000 crossings with four million passengers carried.