New Bedford Tribute at Butler Flats Lighthouse Honors Florida Girl’s Memory

What began as a training swim in New Bedford turned into a heartfelt mystery, then a full-circle moment no one could have scripted.

After sharing the story of Emelee “Bean” Arbuckle, a young Florida woman memorialized through engraved bricks placed at lighthouses across the country, her parents Ken and Karen “Katy” Arbuckle reached out with the emotional story behind the tiny brick I found near Butler Flats Lighthouse. The tale touched listeners across the SouthCoast when we told it live on The MGM Show.

Then something incredible happened.

READ MORE: New Bedford Mystery Brick Tied to Florida Girl’s Heartfelt Legacy

After hearing the story over the airwaves, Ken and Katy booked a last-minute trip from Florida to New Bedford, determined to see the lighthouse and the waters where their daughter’s legacy had surfaced. What they didn’t expect was the wave of community support that would rise to meet them.

That very day, calls came in from listeners moved by Emelee’s story. Juan Sanchez, local drone operator and founder of I Heart New Bedford (I Heart NB), reached out offering aerial support. Lourdes Hilario, another loyal listener, helped connect us with Lee Socorro, President of the Buzzards Bay Rowing Club.

Within hours, Lee’s team – Susan Pacheco, Louise LeComte, Jodi Duval, Deb Gabriel, Jackie Duval, Marcos Rodriguez and Eric James – mobilized to prepare two rowboats for a ceremonial sendoff.

On the morning of Sunday, June 29, with perfect 10-out-of-10 weather, the team launched from Slocum Cove Marina in Fairhaven. They rowed under the Fairhaven/New Bedford Bridge, passed through the hurricane barrier, and into the open harbor toward the lighthouse.

At the same time, the Arbuckles arrived by boat, and in a stunning moment of synchronicity, they reached Butler Flats Lighthouse at exactly 11:11 a.m. a number believed by many to signify alignment, presence and connection.

Ken looked at me and asked if I would do the honors. I held the brick tight, then tossed it back to its rightful resting place near the lighthouse where it was meant to be placed back in 2023.

Katy had picked up beautiful fresh flowers from Acushnet Flower Company upon arriving in town. She laid them in the water as we paused for a moment of silence. Waves lapped softly against the boat. The breeze carried something unspoken.

Emelee’s journey had come full circle.

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And for her parents, that moment offered something words can barely describe: closure.