MOBILE, Ala. — Dozens of family members and friends came together Tuesday night to honor two fishermen who vanished on the water a week earlier, holding a candlelight vigil where the men began their final trip.
The family chose C&S Tackle Shop as the setting — the spot where Floyd “Genie Boy” Nelson and David Stegman launched before they went missing. The boat the two men were aboard was recovered shortly after their disappearance, but neither Nelson nor Stegman had been found.
Search Called Off, Family Stays On
Relatives said they decided to hold the vigil after the U.S. Coast Guard called off its official search. Attendees lit candles, shared memories of the two men, and prayed for their recovery.
Nelson’s son-in-law, Stephen Haywood, said he and his wife — Nelson’s daughter — drove down from Virginia as soon as they heard the news and planned to remain in the area.
“We will stay in the area until the bodies are recovered,” Haywood said. “We need the degree of closure. There are all kinds of varying estimates about when they may be recovered. We know that everybody is still in the process of searching for the bodies.”