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Aboard Peterson's 23-foot fishing vessel, 70 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, the boat capsized and all three men were lost at sea. The body of Giannini, a 43-year-old carpenter, later was found, while the bodies of Hayes, a 34-year-old roofer, and Peterson, a 42-year-old Atlantic City fire captain, were never recovered. On Thursday, September
25, 2002, a new park at Melrose and Massachusetts avenues was dedicated
in the memory of those three men and the many others who have been lost
at sea. The park was a cooperative effort by the city of Atlantic City,
Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and Special Improvement District,
Located on the site where Fire Station 10 once stood, the bayfront park features 65,000 square feet of turf, an elaborate irrigation system, thousands of flowers and dozens of trees and shrubs. Most of the material that was installed at the park was transplanted from along the Michigan Avenue corridor area, which was torn out to make room for The Walk shopping and entertainment complex. Many local dignitaries were on hand, such as Council President Gibb Jones, Deputy Mayor Ernest Coursey, CRDA Economic Development Director Fran Santoro, Council member Roman Rosario and City Planning Director Keith Mills. Also in attendance were many local residents and students from the Uptown School Complex.
(Right - pictured left to right are Kathy Peterson, Alyssa Peterson, Kelly Kuhn and Steven Hayes. Not pictured is the Giannini family.)
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For
the Hayes, Peterson and Giannini families, August 19, 1999 forever will
be etched in their minds. On that fateful day, Steven Hayes, Ed "Hacksaw"
Peterson and Jeff Giannini Sr., three recreational fishermen from Atlantic
City, set sail for a quiet day of tuna fishing at sea. 
whose Landscaping Division oversaw its construction. 
Phase
II of this project will see the construction of new bulkheading along
the waterfront, a boardwalk that will follow the natural contour of the
waterfront and a pedestrian bridge linking the boardwalk across the canal
to Rhode Island Avenue. A dedication ceremony is tentatively scheduled
for August 20, 2003, to recognize the completion of the project. A monument
also will be unveiled that will honor the memory of local fishermen who
have lost their lives at sea over the years.