Some might say it is fate. Others might say it is luck.
- Memorial for teen who committed suicide washed away during storm
- The plank from the Flagler Beach Pier was found 19 blocks south
- Family to man who found it: "Dan (Sullivan) became my hero"
A memorial for a Flagler County teenager who committed suicide about three years ago washed away when the Flagler Beach Pier was damaged in early October from Hurricane Matthew.
But a man found the memorial and was able to return it to its family.
"You don't know what this means to me and my family," Barbara Coxwell said Tuesday. "As soon as I was told that the end of the pier was gone, I knew his plank was gone."
About 200 feet of the pier was ripped away by Hurricane Matthew, including a memorial plank that stood as a reminder of Coxwell’s son, Dalton, who committed suicide.
Now, Coxwell is thankful for Dan Sullivan and a Facebook message she received right after the storm left Florida’s east coast.
"When I got that message on Facebook, I was like, 'Oh my God,'" Coxwell said.
Sullivan, who found the plank, added: "I could see writing on it from a distance, so that’s when I climbed up over immediately and recognized what it was (and) what it meant."
The plank was found on South 19th Street in a pile of debris and wood.
"It was overwhelming just being 19 blocks south," Sullivan said. "I didn't expect to find any part of the pier."
Another part of the memorial is still missing, but Coxwell said that's OK.
"It's invaluable — that's something that can’t be replaced," she said. "Dan became my hero out of this storm. I can't be more grateful to him."
The Coxwell family plans to get another plank and add Dalton's first name and put it back on the pier when it reopens.
"I'm just glad to be able to give it back to them," Sullivan said.