A woman fishing off a remote island in the South Pacific couldn’t believe her eyes when she reeled in a conch shell that led to a surprise proposal.
Cole Harrison and his girlfriend, Steph – who are originally from the United States – travel the world surfing, diving and spearfishing, so Cole wanted to concoct a proposal that perfectly tied into their lives.
Born and raised in Key West, Florida, Cole’s nickname has always been “Conch,” which he thought would be a perfect element to tie into his proposal.
RELATED: Stepdad’s Heartfelt Letter to Daughter Leads to Surprise Adoption Proposal on Christmas Day
He and Steph have a conch shell horn they sourced in the Bahamas, and so, on December 22, 2023, Cole tied it to the end of a fishing line and threw it into the waters of an island in French Polynesia.
Informing Steph he had caught something, Cole then waited for his girlfriend of six years to head to the water and start reeling in the object.
That provided the perfect moment for Cole to pull a smaller shell out of his pocket, containing a black pearl engagement ring, which he presented to Steph as he got down on one knee.
In the foreground, the couple’s rescue dog, Finn, who travels the world with them, also leaped around with joy, sensing the scale of the moment.
The couple has tens of thousands of followers on their social media accounts, and after posting the video, they received a number of loving messages from old friends, new friends, and many people they’ve never met.
Cole said: “It played out perfectly – we had playfully discussed marriage, so I was pretty confident, and that helped a lot.
“Steph was totally confused when the conch shell came out of the water then very surprised seeing the ring. “