Community rallies behind beloved Oak Island spot
OAK ISLAND — Hurrican Beryl certainly impacted the area, and for one local establishment, the memory of the storm will forever be shadowed by the love of the community.
Located on Double Bayou's west fork just a few miles from the mouth of Trinity Bay, Channel Marker 17, owned by Amber Gilbert, is a legacy and a colorful treasure in Oak Island.
The business is Gilbert's inheritance from her mother, Ernestine Kreuzer, and her family's livelihood, along with her husband Patrick's income from work on tugboats.
"Saturday before the storm hit, I knew it was going to be bad. I just had a feeling from going through storms before and living here all my life. I knew," Amber said, "I contacted the regulars at the bar and told them to come get beer for $2. Sunday, I sold $1 beers to clear out the coolers."
The storm sent a surge of one inch every ten minutes through the popular bar and restaurant on the morning of July 8.
"Monday at 6 a.m., the power went. Around eleven it looked like someone put a water hose in the Channel Marker. The water rose so fast. I got the kids and we tried to pick up everything we could. The kitchen is lower than the rest of the building, but that equipment couldn't be moved," Amber Gilbert explained, "We couldn't use the front door because it let in muddy water, so we went in and out the window."
When Amber saw the propane tank floating, she cut string from a cast net and tied the tank to a power line. She contacted her brother, Robert Rogers, to use his boat to pick her up with her younger children. Rogers brought the boat down the road in the high water and got Amber and the children out of the stormwater.
After the storm passed, Raymond Anders heard about the deluge at the Channel Marker, brought equipment, and sprayed the building out with a fire hose. Mud was up the walls, covering the floors, chairs and all the equipment.
Amber and volunteers used shop vacuums to vacuum water out of the window. Amber's grandmother painted the restrooms after the mud was cleaned off.
All the food and beverages were ruined. According to USDA, the goods could not be given away. Once beer is hot, it cannot be re-cooled.
The cost to service the friers is $400. Amber is in the process of getting the friers back online.
Regulars at the Channel Marker Shawn and John replaced the fan motors of the coolers at no charge. Al and Diane Salazar provided new stainless steel for the kitchen counters and Joe Haynes built new cabinets and put in a new floor and floor drain.
Nick Flores, who has a younger brother, Dalton, in the hospital with terminal cancer, helped every day by doing anything Amber would let him do. Sam Glass called all the young people together, gave the kids who helped $5,0 and told them to remember that family comes first and to always stand with your family and community.
"The recovery of the Channel Marker was truly a community effort," said Amber, "Even our church, Community Christian Fellowship, loaned us chairs so that we could open and start serving food."
Diana Kreuzer is Amber's aunt, and she stood by her through the tragedy.
The women in the Kreuzer family have reputations as strong and entrepreneurial-minded. Amber's mother and Diana's sister, Ernestine Watson, ran the bar and restaurant until her death three years ago.
The next time you're out and about Oak Island way, swing by Channel Marker 17 and witness for yourself the strength and love of a community, especially in a time of need.