Sailor who gave chilling message to dog as they sank faces 'huge challenge' following major storm

An update has been given on the sailor who lost his boat during Hurricane Helene, revealing the 'huge challenge' ahead for him.

64-year-old Earl Barcome and his beloved dog, Gunn, had been living together on 36-foot sailboat named Selkie for the past six months.

Earl made the decision after his relationship of 30 years came to an end.

However, Earl and Gunn's life on the seven seas came to a heartbreaking end during Hurricane Helene, which caused devastation in the Big Bend region of Florida over the weekend.

Initially planning to sail away from the storm's path and wait out the worst of the weather in an protected inlet, disaster struck when the motor on Earl's boat - around 50 miles south of Sanibel Island, FL - left him powerless and the boat was pushed into the storm's path.

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After the Selkie began to take on large amounts of water, Earl made the decision to radio the US Coast Guard and abandon ship with Gunn, telling the pooch 'this isn’t the day we’re going to die', as their situation became increasingly dire.

Thankfully, the Coast Guard were able to rescue the pair and get them to safety, however, Earl's boat - and everything on it - now lies at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

Following the tragedy, Earl's sister Shirley set up a GoFundMe to raise money for her brother as he works out his next steps.

Describing the sailboat as a 'culmination of a lifelong dream, offering him solace and purpose', Shirley explained that she was initially hoping to raise funds of $25,000 for her brother to rebuild his life.

However, in a new update Shirley has explained the reasons for upping the donation goal to $100,000 and revealed her brother still has some of the 'biggest challenges' ahead.

"As many of you know, Earl and Gunn are working hard to rebuild their lives. One of the biggest challenges Earl now faces is transitioning from living rent-free on his boat to finding a new place to live on land," she wrote in the update.

(GoFundMe)

"This means Earl is currently homeless and navigating how to secure stable housing, find a job, and cover day-to-day expenses."

She then went on to explain the new target had been raised to 'Earl's immediate and long-term needs' and thanked everyone who had donated so far to her brother's cause.

"Thank you, again, for your continued kindness and generosity. Every bit of support brings Earl and Gunn closer to a safe and secure future," she added.

Meanwhile, it is reported that winds, rain and storm surge from Hurricane Helene has caused damage to the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia - with around at least 90 people confirmed dead at the time of writing (per a report from Reuters).