<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1Hzzmr_0lt69aXg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Hzzmr_0lt69aXg00" width="1200" height="675" ></figure>SURF CITY, N.C. (WECT) - This weekend, 17 people were memorialized in reef balls at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital and then laid to rest at the bottom of the ocean near Topsail Beach.Non-profit Eternal Reefs is adding the remains of 17 people to a memorial reef, including a veteran who worked with Jacques Cousteau to found the Underwater Society of America. Other people being laid to rest have loved ones visiting from Virginia, Ohio, Georgia, Idaho, Arizona and New Mexico to mix their cremated remains with environmentally-friendly concrete to form a reef ball.On Friday, Eternal Reefs laid two people to rest as family members cast a decorated reef ball into the ocean along with other memorabilia and plaques.Fifteen family members from Ohio and Idaho honored Sarah Nelson, who died from a brain tumor at 34 years old. Loved ones say she vacationed at Topsail Beach for more than a dozen years before her passing.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2eOetf_0lt69aXg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2eOetf_0lt69aXg00" width="980" height="735" ></figure>Two people also visited from Virginia to honor Jean Ann Hughes. She was active in Rotary International, was an EMT, taught health and PE for 17 years, and was a “professional Girl Scout,” serving as program director as well as CEO in Michigan and Virginia. Her spouse, Deborah, says becoming a part of the Eternal Reef is “the ultimate give back to the environment that completes her wishes.”Three others were laid to rest on Saturday.George Edward Krasle co-founded the Underwater Society of America with Jacques Cousteau and Sir. Arthur C. Clark. He also founded the first dive shop in Georgia, was the first YMCA scuba instructor ever, and pioneered several scuba and hyperbaric oxygen innovations and patents. Seven family members cast his remains into the ocean and will be present for his military honors at Sunday’s ceremony.Dabney, of Georgia, is visiting to memorialize her husband James Edenfield. She says the two traveled the world to scuba dive and visited reef balls in the Caribbean, inspiring her husband’s desire to be a reef ball after his passing.Rick is honoring his wife Deborah this weekend. The two used to live in Wilmington and his brother lived in North Topsail Beach.On Sunday, Eternal Reefs will host a military honors ceremony at noon at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.</div></body>

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Families gather to lay loved ones to rest off coast of Topsail Beach

SURF CITY, N.C. (WECT) - This weekend, 17 people were memorialized in reef balls at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital and then laid to rest at the bottom of the ocean near Topsail Beach. Non-profit Eternal Reefs is adding the remains of 17 people to a memorial reef, including...