Family and friends returned to the island to honor Dominic Dasher’s life
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Wearing shades of blue beneath a bright Sunday morning sky, between 75 and 100 family members, friends and community supporters gathered at the Tybee Pier and Pavilion on Sunday, July 19, to remember Dominic Lamont Dasher.
The group prayed, embraced and comforted one another before walking onto the pier with a blue-and-white floral wreath in Dasher’s honor.
The remembrance gathering, held from 11 a.m. to noon, was organized by Dasher’s son, Dominic L. Dasher Jr., days after his father’s body was recovered following an extensive five-day search off Tybee Island, Ga.
Dasher’s mother, Lillian Cohen Dasher, joined her grandson and other loved ones as the family remembered the 45-year-old Beaufort County fisherman.
Dasher Jr. had invited participants to wear blue or a blue ribbon to represent the love, memories and prayers surrounding his father. Family members also said blue was Dasher’s favorite color.
Many answered the request, arriving in blue shirts, dresses, hats and other clothing.
After the gathering, Dasher Jr. thanked those who came to stand with his family.
“I just want to thank everybody who came out today to remember my dad,” he wrote in a public Facebook post. “Seeing so many people show up, share love, and be there for us really meant a lot to me.”
He said each prayer, hug and kind word offered during the gathering brought comfort to the family as they continued grieving.
“Thank you for taking the time to come out and honor him with us,” Dasher Jr. wrote. “I truly appreciate all the love and support. Continue to keep me and my family in your prayers.”
A five-day search
Sunday’s gathering brought the family back to the island where the search for Dasher had unfolded just days earlier.
According to information provided to The Island News by Georgia Department of Natural Resources Public Affairs Officer Mark McKinnon, the search began at approximately 9 a.m. Saturday, July 11, after Chatham County Marine Patrol notified Georgia DNR game wardens that a vessel had overturned near the north end of Tybee Island.
Dasher was reported missing following the accident. At least one other man was aboard the vessel and was rescued.
Dasher’s family believes waves generated by a large cargo ship caused the vessel to overturn, according to WSAV-TV. Authorities have not confirmed that account, and Georgia DNR’s investigation into the accident remains ongoing.
The report of the overturned vessel launched a multi-agency search involving personnel and equipment from Georgia and South Carolina.
Georgia DNR game wardens, Chatham County Marine Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, Tybee Marine Rescue Squadron, Tybee Fire and Rescue, the Tybee Island Police Department and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources game wardens participated. Chatham County Aviation and Georgia DNR Aviation also conducted multiple aerial searches.
Strong winds and thunderstorms complicated portions of the operation, but crews continued searching for Dasher.
Local fishermen continue looking
Members of the local fishing community also assisted and continued watching the water throughout the week.
Mary Cathryn Turner told The Island News that her husband, a charter fishing captain who operates out of Tybee Island, helped with the search Saturday.
On Wednesday morning, July 15, the captain and his first mate were returning from a fishing trip with clients when they encountered Dasher’s body approximately 3 to 4 miles offshore in the shipping channel, Turner said.
Her husband approached cautiously and visually confirmed that the person was wearing clothing matching the description provided for Dasher. He immediately contacted the Coast Guard by radio to report a person in the water.
Turner said Coast Guard personnel arrived approximately 20 minutes later, followed by Georgia DNR. After receiving permission from the responding agencies, the captain left the scene and returned to the marina.
Her husband had also recovered personal items during Saturday’s search and turned them over to Coast Guard personnel, Turner said.
“He has been in touch with Mr. Dasher’s family, and providing them the closure they needed in the midst of a terrible tragedy has been enough,” Turner said.
She said her husband did not want recognition for his role but believed the contributions of the local fishing community should be acknowledged.
“This recovery would not have been possible without the help of the local fishing community who have kept an eye out on the waters,” Turner said. “Mr. Dasher was part of that community, and perhaps it’s fitting that another fisherman was the one who brought him home.”
A son’s plea for prayers
As the search entered its fifth day Wednesday, Dasher Jr. thanked the public for standing beside his family.
“Reading all of your messages and seeing the stories you’ve shared about my dad has brought me comfort during one of the hardest times of my life,” he wrote. “It reminds me that he isn’t just loved by our family — he’s loved by so many.”
At the time, the family remained focused on bringing Dasher home and had not begun planning a gathering or memorial.
“Right now, we’re still searching for my dad,” Dasher Jr. wrote. “We haven’t given up hope, and we’re continuing to pray and trust God every step of the way.”
He asked the community to pray for his father, the family and the first responders involved in the search.
“Please continue to pray with us, believe with us, and keep my dad in your thoughts,” he wrote. “Please keep praying that my dad comes home.”
Within hours, the search reached its conclusion.
According to McKinnon, Georgia DNR game wardens and Coast Guard personnel recovered Dasher’s body at approximately 2 p.m., Wednesday, July 15, just south of the shipping channel offshore from Tybee Island.
McKinnon said Dasher had been in the water from approximately 9 a.m., Saturday, July 11 until his recovery July 15. Georgia DNR and the Coast Guard conducted the official recovery before turning his body over to the Chatham County Coroner’s Office.
In a public statement the following day, Dasher Jr. thanked everyone who had prayed, shared information, called, sent messages or kept the family in their thoughts throughout the search.
He then announced plans for the Sunday gathering, inviting the community to return to Tybee and walk in his father’s memory.
Remembering “Dash”
Dasher had celebrated his 45th birthday in March, expressing gratitude for another year of life in a public Facebook post.
“What a day to be alive,” he wrote. “I want to thank God for allowing me to see the big 45. Happy birthday to me.”
In the days following his death, friends shared memories of the man they knew as “Dash.”
Bernard Daise described Dasher as his brother, best friend and someone he could depend on through right or wrong.
“I keep hearing you asking me, ‘Man, High Roller, when you coming on the boat with me?’” Daise wrote in a public Facebook tribute. “And every time I’d laugh and say, ‘Man, Dash, it’s too damn hot right now.’ If only I knew those moments would become memories I’d hold onto forever.”
Daise said Dasher would be remembered for his laugh, loyalty and the love he showed others.
“Life will never be the same without you here,” he wrote. “Your name, your laugh, your loyalty, and the love you showed will live with me forever.”
Four months after Dasher celebrated his birthday, those closest to him stood together above the water off Tybee, dressed in the color chosen to represent their love, memories and prayers. Through their gratitude and grief, they remembered a man who made a lasting impact during his 45 years of life.
Memorial arrangements pending
Chisholm Galloway Home for Funerals is handling the funeral arrangements, and services will be held there. The date and time had not been announced as of publication.
Dasher Jr. again thanked the community for its prayers, encouraging words, calls, messages and support.
“It truly means more than I can put in words,” he wrote.
He asked for patience while the family works through the details of the memorial.
“Once everything has been finalized, we will share the information with everyone who would like to come and help us celebrate and honor his life,” Dasher Jr. wrote. “Thank you for continuing to keep my father and everyone who loved him in your prayers.”
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
