DORCHESTER CO. - The Maryland Natural Resources Police are still searching for a missing boater in the Chesapeake Bay in the area of Taylor's Island after his boat was found empty four days ago.
Police say the missing man is 65-year-old Lonnie James Johnson from Chesapeake Beach. They say officers were dispatched the morning of Nov. 14 after a report of an boater who did not return when scheduled.
They say the boat, a white 23-foot center-console vessel, was found this morning empty in the area of Taylor's Island in Dorchester County after tracking Johnson's cell phone location.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police are searching for Johnson with five other agencies, including Maryland State Police Aviation and the United States Coast Guard, using both dive and aviation resources.
As of Nov. 17, four days after Johnson's boat was found empty, the Maryland Natural Resources Police say there are no new developments yet. They say search efforts continue and investigators are using data from Johnson's boat's chart plotter and the cell phone found aboard to help with the search.
They also say search efforts will continue Tuesday, Nov. 18, with aerial searches, dive teams, and side-scan sonar.
The Natural Resources Police say they appreciate the fishing community's volunteer efforts to find Johnson, but they request volunteers keep a wide distance away from search and rescue vessels, "as close proximity may interfere with sensitive equipment being used in the search effort."
They also say the Chesapeake Bay remains in a small craft advisory today, Nov. 17, so volunteer searches are discouraged until dangerous conditions subside.
Those who plan to join search efforts later this week are asked to report any sightings consistent with the missing individual to the Maryland Natural Resources Police at 410-260-8888 or by radio on VHF Channel 16.