Shea Heights woman raising money for monument to fishermen lost at sea
Daphne Evans Walsh knows what it's like to lose a loved one to the sea — in fact, she lost three family members and a family friend in a 2016 fishing tragedy that still haunts the St. John's neighbourhood of Shea Heights.
"The Walshes have been fishing for years, the licence handed down from father to Eugene, and then it would have gone to Keith," said Evans Walsh, former sister-in-law of Eugene Walsh. "We lost three generations in one swoop."
On a windy day in early September 2016 with seas of two metres, the Walshes and family friend Billy Humby, 37, were fishing in a six-metre open boat when it sank off Cape Spear.
TSB blames 'adverse conditions'
A year later, Canada's Transportation Safety Board would blame the fishing accident, in part, on "adverse conditions."
"They're surmising that a rogue wave picked the boat up and slammed it right down because of the position it was in at the bottom of the sea," she said.
In the days immediately following the incident, the bodies of Humby and the youngest of the Walshes, Keith Walsh Jr., 18, were recovered.
Father Keith Walsh Sr. and grandfather Eugene Walsh were never recovered.
It left a gaping hole in the lives of the Walsh family and their friends.
Now Evans Walsh is putting aside her grief to raise money to erect a monument at Cape Spear to all fishermen from this province who died at sea.
"Before you never give it any thought about fishermen going missing at sea, but when it happens to yourself it really hits home," Evans Walsh said.
"We want to put the monument there not only for our loved ones we lost, but as a tribute to any fisherman or woman who died at sea whether they were found or not. It's for everyone across Newfoundland and Labrador."
She's surprised there isn't already such a monument in the province, given its historic close association with the sea and the countless fishermen who have been lost over the centuries.
Evans Walsh has an account set up to take donations at the Royal Bank branch on the corner of Freshwater and Crosbie roads in St. John's in the name of the Fishermen's Monument Fund. She has also been sharing her campaign on her Facebook page.
It's too early to talk about how much has been raised, but she said every cent will go into the monument.
The concept of the marker is still being worked upon by family members, but she said it will include an anchor in the design.
The size will depend on the cost and how much money is raised.
"I made an attempt at a monument fund last year with GoFundMe, but it kind of died midstream because we [weren't] ready mentally to deal with it all."
A year later, Evans Walsh finally feels up to the task and has the support of family and friends.
She is hoping to hold a ceremony to unveil the monument on the second anniversary of the tragedy in September.
