MCINTOSH COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/WALB) — A GoFundMe has launched after the shrimp boat Miss Kristin was declared a total loss in a fire Monday night, according to the McIntosh County Volunteer Fire Department.

The department said crews responded to the fire at the Sea Gardens dock. Firefighters worked to salvage the boat before it was declared a total loss.

Jamey Bennett, the boat’s captain, said he has operated Miss Kristin for about six and a half to seven years.

>> MORE COVERAGE: Shrimp boat declared a ‘total loss’ after fire in McIntosh County <<

What happened the day of the fire

Bennett said he went to the dock that day to prepare the boat to go back to work when the weather broke. He said a man did welding on the boat’s rigging because the rigging was falling apart.

Bennett said he and the man stayed at the dock for about an hour and a half to two hours after the work was completed. He then went home.

He said he got a call around 10:30 p.m. Monday.

“Your boat’s on fire,” Bennett said he was told.

Bennett said he drove to the dock at about 80 to 90 miles per hour. He said he thought the damage might be something he could repair.

“I figured it would have been, you know, something I could save and just do a little bit of woodwork and put her back together to go back to work,” Bennett said. “But when I hit the corner, it was ... she was already gone. The fire was already too hot and started spreading all over the boat.”

Plans to return to work

Bennett said he is trying to move forward after the loss.

“All I can do is just try to push through, and hopefully I can get enough stuff together where I can maybe go off and purchase me another boat somewhere down the coast, maybe Louisiana, or somewhere down south,” Bennett said.

Bennett said he has seen videos of the fire and the community support.

“I have a lot of people that’s behind me that I didn’t think was, and everybody’s standing up trying to put things together where I can get me another vessel and come back to work,” Bennett said.

Shrimping as a family trade

Bennett said shrimping is a family trade. He said he was raised in commercial fishing and started going out at about 13 or 14 years old with his Uncle Jeffrey.

“I’ve just been in it ever since,” Bennett said.

Bennett said shrimpers bring in fresh wild Georgia shrimp.

“Shrimpers play a pretty big role trying to bring in the fresh wild Georgia shrimp and try to stay away from the farm raises,” Bennett said. “I mean, it’s a hard job to go out there and try to locate shrimp and find them and catch them and keep them pretty to bring back to Anchorage Seafood.”

Bennett said his favorite memory of the boat is preparing it for a trip.

“I love the feeling when I get down there and able to fill her up with some ice and put fuel on and groceries,” Bennett said. “And I just know the next morning I’m going to work, try to find some shrimp.”

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