PHOTOS: Hundreds Attend Unveiling Of Bayman Statue

BABYLON VILLAGE, NY - Hundreds of local residents gathered for the highly-anticipated unveiling of the Babylon Bayman Statue.

On Sunday, the Babylon Bayman Statue officially became part of Babylon Village history.

Sculptor Jose Fernandez was on hand for the event as Babylon Village resident Rich Hoffman spoke of his father, his life and untimely death on the water and as a Bayman.

In addition, during the event Babylon Village resident Theresa Santmann was recognized for her most generous contributions during the fundraising efforts and a light reception followed sponsored by the Babylon Beautification Society.

"Two-thirds of the world’s hard-shelled clams came out of the Great South Bay,” Wayne Horsley, local resident and member of the Bayman Statue Steering Committee said according toGreaterBabylon.com. “But the livelihood of the bay has dwindled over the last 40 years from 10,000 licensed clammers to only 21 licensed locals today. The Bayman reminds us that the earth is resilient and that this bay will clean itself up and bring itself back to the way it used to be."

Fernandez, who was asked to be a part of the project back in 2016, told the audience about the process of creating the statue, Greater Babylon reports.

"All in all, it was about six months of work stretched over the course of three years from concept to finish," he said. "And I’m very proud of it. I took it very seriously because I know it’s going to be here for a long time and I really respect that. I wanted the finished product to feel timeless."

"Today’s unveiling of the Babylon Bayman statue was a wonderful way to capture both the history and future of Babylon and our neighbor, the Great South Bay," the Babylon Village Chamber of Commerce wrote on their Facebook page.

See additional photos from the event above:

Photos: Facebook.com/Village of Babylon