Rallying for Papa Bear: 1,000 turn out for recovering Hilton Head fishing captain
When Fuzzy Davis walks into a party and says nearly everyone he knows is there, it’s a pretty good sign you’re at a great party.
Davis, a charter fishing captain on Hilton Head Island for 40 years, said that Sunday afternoon when he joined about 1,000 others at Hudson’s Seafood on the Docks to support a fellow fishing captain who fell from his tree stand Nov. 18 while hunting in Tennessee and was impaled by a tree.
Michael Perry, a 44-year-old father of two who’s had a months-long stay at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was well fêted at the oyster roast, which was organized shortly after he was injured to help his family with medical bills.
Known as “Papa Bear,” Perry is still hospitalized and couldn’t attend the party, but he gave the crowd a dose of his well-known humor when he called in and his message was broadcast through the event’s sound system.
“He said ‘this is just great, you guys are throwing a party and didn’t invite me,’” said Hudson’s owner, Andrew Carmines.
The oyster roast featured donated food from nearly a dozen island institutions such as Hudson’s, Skull Creek Boathouse and Dockside, Jane Bistro, Calibogue catering, and Mellow Mushroom. Between tickets and donations, Carmines estimated the event raised over $100,000 for Perry and his family.
“It was really unbelievable how many people from different walks of life were there. Some were people who didn’t even know Michael,” said Perry’s friend of 20 years, Scott Richardson.
The oyster roast featured silent auction items from Perry’s plethora of fishing friends, who offered chartered trips to the Bahamas and Argentina, as well as fishing on the North Carolina coast.
“The island community is tight, but the fishing community is even stronger,” Christiaan Pollitzer, another of Perry’s friends, told The Island Packet in November.
Perry’s unmistakable “Papa Bear” fishing boat was docked at the party.
“It’s a testament to the type of place we live,” Carmines said of the event. “This is what old Hilton Head is all about: people rallying around each other when times are tough.”
Supporting Michael Perry
Perry moved to Hilton Head more than 20 years ago and became first mate on Capt. Randy Osterstock’s boat, “The Echo,” in Harbour Town. He ran the charter before establishing his own business, “Papa Bear Charters.”
His hunting accident is not being investigated as suspicious. Falls from tree stands are considered the most common accident in deer hunting, according to American Hunter magazine, and in most states, injuries from falls vastly outnumber gun-related injuries.
Richardson said Perry is “just a gentle guy” who’s known for his positive attitude.
“ He sees the better side of everybody,” Richardson said. “He doesn’t rub anybody the wrong way.”
The oyster roast was one of several efforts to support Perry and his family.
In late November, Southern Drawl Outfitters posted online about a couple of billboards installed in Okatie and Bluffton wishing Perry a speedy recovery.
“If you are looking for a sign that you live in a great community filled with compassionate people look no further. Thank you to anyone who has and continues to support this great family in their time of need,” the store’s post said.
Sarah, Perry’s wife, has frequently shared his progress on the Papa Bear Charters Facebook page — from doing duck calls for the first time since recovering from a collapsed lung to discovering his hospital room has a movie channel and watching the party at Hudson’s from the hospital.
“Never a question whether HHI could throw a great party, but this was over the top even by those standards,” Sarah wrote Sunday. “So because ‘thank you’ seems lame and underwhelming, we just want to tell you how proud you should all feel, because we are so proud of you and blessed to have you in our lives and in our daughters’ lives. You are examples of selflessness, community, friendship and love.”
Since the accident, a Go Fund Me dedicated to Michael’s family has amassed over $140,000 in donations.
Last week, Hilton Head Humane Association named one of its dogs Papa Bear after Perry and wished him well.
“This big lovable goofball would be a great addition to the family. Best wishes to Michael and his family, Get Well Soon!” the association wrote in a post about the pup.
Perry has undergone about five surgeries and has another four or five to go in the next year. The highlight of the holiday season will be when his daughters Audrey, 14, and Olivia, 12, travel to Nashville to see their dad.
“He’s got two girls that are missing their daddy,” he said. “It’s going to be a good end to the year.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 4:30 AM.
