Loved ones honor Tybee boating accident victim

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - Family and friends of the man, 45-year-old Dominic Dasher, who died after his boat overturned near North Beach, gathered to celebrate his life.

Dasher of Port Royal, South Carolina, was reported missing on the morning of July 11.

At that point, all anyone knew was to look for a black male wearing khaki shorts and a white t-shirt.

Tybee Marine Rescue, Fire, and Police, alongside both Georgia and South Carolina DNR, Chatham County Aviation, and the U.S. Coast Guard, searched everywhere.

Lt. Chris Epley with the Tybee Island Fire Department said on July 11, “Coast Guard has a helicopter up searching, along with a boat. And we have a boat from the fire department searching, along with MRS, Marine Rescue Squadron.”

Strong winds and thunderstorms complicated search efforts, but four days later, they found him south of the shipping channel offshore.

Friends and family on Sunday wore blue, his favorite color, and walked along the pier and pavilion towards the ocean on Sunday afternoon. Eventually, releasing a wreath in the water to honor his life.

His mother, Lillian, said, “I just want everybody to know that I love my son and I will miss him very much. Not a day went by that my son didn’t come and visit me. Got me something to eat or something to drink.”

She said he was known to give out turkeys during Thanksgiving in his neighborhood and made sure kids were taken care of when Christmas came around.

“That’s the kind of person my son was. He loved everybody,” she said. “I’m very proud of my son and very thankful for everyone.”