He was ‘larger than life.’ Special ceremony held for Murrells Inlet Garden City fire fighter
Rescue boats, jet skis and vehicles from multiple first responder agencies made a slow, solemn procession toward Atlantic Ocean waters Saturday morning.
White and yellow roses and flowers were strewn across the shoreline. Onlookers, many of whom wore Murrells Inlet Fire Rescue shirts, fell silent in honor of their fallen coworker and friend.
They were commemorating Matthew A. Piontkowski, 40, who was born on April 29, 1983, and died on June 9, 2023, of line-of-duty-related cancer.
The Murrells Inlet Garden City Fire District held a paddle out ceremony to honor Piontkowski. Several agencies were present, from Horry County Fire Rescue to the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office.
After the procession, coworkers shared memories of Piontkowski, joking about his Tom Cruise impressions and signature aviator glasses look.
Piontkowski ‘lit up the room’
Kevin Brannon, who lives just outside Cleveland, Ohio, said he knew Piontkowski since he was 15.
Piontkowski carried a “larger than life” presence with him and always “lit up the room he walked into,” Brannon said.
“It’s been a hell of an adventure with that kid,” Brannon said.
He added that seeing the outpouring from the community — from some who didn’t even know Piontkowski but were inspired by him — was overwhelming.
In addition to being a firefighter, Piontkowski was part of a hurricane response team, and was trained in water rescue. He was part of an elite task force, Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Battalion Chief Brennan Moore said.
Line-of-duty cancer
Line-of-duty cancer means cancer caused by direct exposure to harmful chemicals in the line of duty.
Also called occupational cancer, it is in the line of duty for firefighters, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.
“It hit (Piontkowki) so fast,” Moore told the Sun News previously. “We’re talking months. In months, he was gone and it was painful. (Piontkowski) was in such good health. He didn’t smoke, he hadn’t drank in two years. Running, working out, swimming constantly.”
Thanks to a bill signed into law in 2020, firefighters who are diagnosed with cancer and have served for more than five years can receive a supplemental insurance policy from South Carolina.
Piontkowski was able to receive this benefit to help with medical bills, Moore said.
Presented to the ocean in special ceremony
A paddle out ceremony is a Hawaiian tradition, but many life-saving agencies as well as surfers use the ceremony as a way to memorialize someone, Duke Brown, the safety director at Horry County Beach Patrol, said.
“With (Piontkowski) being presented to the sea, he will look out for his fellow life-savers,” Brown said.
A conch shell was blown in four directions by a member of the Ohana Kahakai dance group — a dance organization that frequently performs in Polynesian traditions.
Afterward, several paddled out to sea near the Garden City pier and made a circle around Piontkowski’s surfboard and ashes, flowers in hand.
Piontkowski’s family, including his sister, mother and nephew, came down from Ohio to participate.
Several cheered and splashed before making a line back to the shore.
