Imagine heading 40-60 miles off the South Carolina coast on a beautiful winter day.  The weather suddenly changes.  The sea builds and your boat rocks violently and threatens to toss you into the sea.  Night falls and the wind howls and rips at your hair…

Commercial fishermen are not frequently lost at sea in South Carolina, but commercial fishing is a dangerous job.  Every effort is made to protect the safety of the crew at sea.  However,  changes in weather, rouge waves, lightning strikes at sea, mechanical failures, running aground, operator error, crew not able swim in the case of an emergency, or simply falling off the boat at night with no survival suits into the frigid sea can all contribute to lives lost at sea.

There are many memorials to commercial fishermen lost at sea in the United States, including the Lost at Sea Memorial in Murrells Inlet, SC.  Founded in 2006, the Lost at Sea Memorial bears the names of those lost at sea including, “rescue pilots, a harbor pilot, fishermen, and crew members from military vessels”.

If you are in Murrells Inlet consider visiting the Lost at Sea Memorial, or learn more about it here.