In the small, close-knit community of St. Shott's, Newfoundland and Labrador, the sea is a constant presence, a source of livelihood and, at times, profound sorrow. It was from this very sea that sixteen-year-old George John Myrick, a young man with his life ahead of him, vanished into the cold, unforgiving waters of the North Atlantic. On March 16, 1987, a day that began with the promise of a routine duck hunt, George, accompanied by his forty-year-old father, Michael Myrick, and his
uncle, forty-year-old Philip Finlay, set out from Cape Pine. The trio, all from St. Shott's, ventured out in their boat to hunt ducks near the shore, a common activity in the rugged coastal region they called home.
Days turned to agonizing silence, and the hope that had flickered in the hearts of their loved ones began to dim. The hunting party did not return as expected. On March 18, two days after they were last seen, the search for the missing men yielded a devastating discovery. Their boat was found overturned at the end of St. Mary's Bay, approximately three kilometers off the southern coast of the Avalon Peninsula. The recovery of debris, including a lifejacket and duck decoys, painted a grim picture of what might have transpired in the choppy Atlantic waters. The vast and powerful ocean had seemingly swallowed the three men, leaving behind only fragments of their final journey.
The disappearance of George John Myrick, his father, and his uncle left an indelible scar on the community of St. Shott's and the wider Newfoundland and Labrador region. While the bodies of Michael Myrick and Philip Finlay were reportedly recovered, George, a young man described as having a medium build, blonde hair, and blue eyes, was never found. His case remains an open wound, a haunting reminder of the sea's unpredictable nature and the enduring pain of a family left without answers. The official record lists him as a missing person, a young life cut short under tragic and mysterious circumstances, his final moments forever lost to the depths of the ocean he grew up beside. The search for George John Myrick has never officially ended, but as the years turn into decades, the hope of his return has been replaced by a somber remembrance of the boy who went hunting and never came home.Last Seen: Mar 16, 1987
