Residents in McIntosh County in south Georgia are coming together to help Captain Jamey Bennett after the devastating loss of his shrimp vessel named “Miss Kristin.” The boat was destroyed during a fire at the Sea Gardens dock in McIntosh County earlier this week.

According to a GoFundMe fundrasier created yesterday by Aaron Wallace, a fellow fisherman and co-owner of Brunswick-based Anchored Shrimp Co., Bennett has “a heart of gold” and is the youngest shrimper in the state of Georgia. “For a commercial fisherman, losing your vessel is more than just losing a boat. It’s losing a piece of yourself and your livelihood,” reads Wallace’s entry on the fundraising website. The loss comes at a time when the Georgia shrimping industry is already facing significant challenges due to high gas prices and operating expenses, an aging workforce and competition from cheaper imported seafood.

Wallace is asking for donations to finance the loan on the vessel, replace the gear and equipment damaged in the fire and fund the down payment on a new shrimp boat so Bennett can return to work on the water. Currently, the initiative has collected nearly $3,000 toward its goal of $45,000.

“Despite his age, he was already one of the top fishermen here in the state of Georgia,” Wallace wrote. “Hopefully, this fund will bring ease to his mind and the stress that follows with it.”