BAY CENTER, Wash. — Two weeks ago, a fisherman from Bay Center was lost at sea when the crabbing boat he was working on started to sink. Since then, Washingtonians have shown up in droves to help his loved ones search the area in Pacific County.
Unfortunately, Bryson Fitch, 23, has still not been found, according to his sister Kelsea Broddy.
"The not knowing is, like, the hardest part," Broddy told KING 5 Sunday.
His grandma, cousins, aunts and uncles can be seen in a recent social media post clutching the salvaged wheel of his sunken crabbing vessel and saying a continued prayer for his recovery.
"We still would love to bring him home, no matter what the condition is," Broddy said. "That's just our main goal, is to find him, so we have answers."
Fitch is both a beloved husband and a father of three young children.
The boat he was working on, the Ethel May, capsized on Feb. 5 due to rough sea conditions. He reached for the life raft, and he and his two crewmates struggled to get on.
"And when Bryson was, you know, trying to get in the raft, a big swell went over him, and it just took him out," Broddy said.
The two other passengers were hoisted to safety, but there was no sign of Fitch.
"He wasn't able to make it on the raft," Broddy said. "The waters were pretty rough that day."
His family pleaded for the public's help in searching for him, including here on KING 5 where we highlighted which coastal areas they needed more sets of eyes.
"After we spoke with you guys and another channel, we had a lot more people reach out, which was very helpful," Broddy said. "On dredges, the oystermen go out daily on dredges and skiff. So, that community of people has looked daily."
The family also started a Facebook group called Bring Bryson Home, which now has nearly 3,800 members and several active posts from beachcombers.
His sister, in the meantime, is grieving and thinking about him constantly.
"When we grew up, we were really close," Broddy said. "We rode dirt bikes, together, four-wheelers, we wrestled a lot. Just a really silly guy."
Since he went missing, tens of thousands of dollars have been raised to support his wife Mckenzie and their three children.
Broddy shared how Mckenzie is doing.
"I think she's, you know, grieving and, you know, still trying to process it," Broddy said. "It's gonna be a long road. You know, it's-- I don't think it's gonna get easier anytime soon. But we have a lot of family and our family loves Mckenzie you know, just like my brother did."
Meanwhile, the search for any trace of Fitch continues.
"We just hope that he knows how much he's loved," Broddy said.
Broddy said the family now needs help with searching places that are hard to get to on foot. She's asking anyone with drones, boats, or aircraft to get in touch on the Bring Bryson Home Facebook group.