Statue of fallen seaman added to Circle of Heroes A life-sized concrete statue of Seaman Apprentice William Flores joined the 12 others currently in the Gulf of Mexico. Author: 10 Tampa Bay Updated: 9:21 PM EDT May 25, 2021 CLEARWATER, Fla. — The nation's first underwater dive memorial honoring veterans received an addition on Tuesday. Circle of Heroes, located 10-miles off the coast of Clearwater, received its 13th statute since officially opening to divers in 2019. A statue honoring Seaman Apprentice William Flores was lowered 40 feet into the Gulf of Mexico to its "final resting place" by the U.S. Coast Guard. According to a press release, Flores died in the Blackthorn accident, along with 22 others. Following his death, Flores was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard's highest award for heroism in peacetime.