OUTER BANKS, North Carolina (CORRUGATED) — A boater and his dog were found dead about two miles south of the North Carolina coast early Monday, while the Coast Guard announced Tuesday it had ended the search for a missing man.
The Coast Guard said Monday evening it was searching for “overdue boaters” in the area when it found the man and dog about two miles south of Oregon Inlet.
Authorities identified the boater as Charlie Griffin, a boat captain who appeared alongside his crew on the National Geographic series Reels of Fortune: “Bad Tuna: Outer Banks.”
Griffin and his dog Leila left Virginia Beach and were headed to Pirate's Cove Marina in Manteo for repairs, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday.
Chad Dunn, 36, remains missing after 41 hours of sea and air searches, the Coast Guard said. Coast Guard photos showed the boat Jay's Goodrun from Falmouth, Massachusetts, wrecked in surf along the coast.
“It is with the deepest sadness that we announce that Charlie Griffin and his beloved dog, Leila, passed away in a boating accident today, March 4,” reads the Reels Facebook page. of Fortune Wicked Tuna. “Please keep your family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. We will always remember Griff! »
The boaters disappeared when visibility was just over a half-mile, seas were 4 to 6 feet and winds were gusting 10 to 15 knots, according to the Coast Guard.
NC Watermen United shared a similar message, saying, “'Griff' touched everyone he met, including all of his fans from his 'Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks' days.”
Griffin and his team starred in seasons two through five of the National Geographic series, “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks.” Griffin's crew won the fourth season.
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“Charlie was known to all as a feisty fisherman with a big heart,” National Geographic and production company Pilgrim Media Group said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “We join Charlie's family, fellow cast members and friends in mourning his untimely loss.”
Griffin's vessel appears to have capsized and run aground in the surf off Pea Island, south of Oregon Inlet, the Coast Guard said.
“We searched for 41 hours, conducted 12 search patterns and traveled approximately 400 miles by air, sea and land with our local partners to find Chad and bring him home,” said Cmdr. Corrie Sergeant, Deputy, North Carolina Sector. “No two cases are ever the same. It is one of the most difficult decisions to call off a search, and we offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends affected by this tragic event.