Tybee Island landmark returns
TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) – A flag is once again flying high on Highway 80 heading onto Tybee Island.
The flag was perched on top of a large piece of driftwood, but after Hurricane Helene passed, the beloved landmark disappeared .
The flag likely flew away during the storm and, according to locals, two men were seen cutting the driftwood up with a chainsaw and hauling it away in a pickup truck.
Locals and visitors alike took to social media to lament the loss, but it wasn't long before the community came together to find a replacement.
J. Altman, known locally as the "Tybee Driftwood King," said a couple of his friends called him to see if he had anything that could replace the lost landmark.
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He knew just the piece.
On Friday, Altman and four friends picked up the driftwood and moved it down the highway in a trailer.
They got the piece out into the marsh and planted the flag in its rightful spot.
"Tybee is a very unique place as far as the community goes," Altman said, "and the community looks out for itself in a major way."
He's also helping communities outside of his own. Altman is coordinating supply donations to be taken to North Carolinians impacted by the recent storms.
