A search is underway for a Maryland boater who went missing in the Chesapeake Bay on Thursday, Nov. 13, according to the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Police. 

Officers said the overdue boater, identified as Lonnie James Johnson, 65, of Chesapeake Beach, was reported on the morning of Friday, Nov. 14. 

Johnson was last known to be operating a white 23' center console vessel. Police said his boat was found unoccupied on Friday morning near Taylor's Island in Dorchester County after officers tracked the location of his cellphone. 

Dive and aviation teams with the U.S. Coast Guard, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Maryland State Police, and other agencies are assisting in the search. 

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Johnson is asked to call Maryland Natural Resources Police at 410-260-8888. 

Boater safety

According to DNR Police, there are about 212,000 registered boats in Maryland. 

Data from the department shows there were 123 boat accidents in 2024. 54 of those accidents led to injuries, while six led to deaths. 

In 2023, 123 boat accidents were reported in Maryland, compared to 132 in 2022, data shows.

The main cause of the boating accidents in 2024 was wakes, and most were reported during the summer months, between May and August.