Friends hopeful missing Maryland boater in Chesapeake Bay will be found

The flag at the end of Bob Bruns' dock in Arnold, Maryland, is at half-mast for his friend Lonnie Johnson, a known boater who went missing in the Chesapeake Bay last week.

Bruns told WJZ the flag will stay as it is until Johnson is found.

"His wife passed away, and we became very close, and he spends his Christmases and Thanksgivings here so he's not at home by himself," Bruns said. "He was just such an extraordinary guy."

Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Police says crews are still searching for Johnson, a 65-year-old boater and fisherman with more than 50 years of experience.

His friends said that dozens of recreational boaters have joined authorities in the search.  

Johnson didn't show up for a fishing trip

Johnson took his boat out from the marina in Chesapeake Beach on Thursday, November 13, and never returned. 

Bruns said Johnson's friends reported him missing the next morning when he didn't show up for a fishing trip.

"He's never late. By about 7:30 or quarter to 8, we realized something was wrong," Bruns said. "His boat was gone, his truck and trailer were there, but it had frost on it, which meant it would have been there overnight."

After pinging his cellphone location, Johnson's boat was found near Taylor's Island in Dorchester County.

"You're holding your breath hoping that he had passed out or fainted or something and would be in the boat, but when they got to the boat, the engine was running, it wasn't in gear. Of course, his phone was ringing off the hook, and no evidence of foul play or anything. He just wasn't in the boat."

Bruns said the playlist Johnson and his friends play every time they fish was playing on repeat.

"It's the same every time, it starts with Thunderstruck by ACDC, we go from there," Bruns said.

Bruns believes Johnson must have had a medical emergency and fallen overboard.

"I think the hardest part is just wanting closure for his family, and for us, his friends," Bruns said. "My personal belief is that he's no longer in that body, he's in heaven with his wife Cione, who cancer took a number of years ago."

Center of a fishing community

Bruns described Johnson as the center of the Chesapeake Bay fishing community. He had a wealth of knowledge and was always happy to share his expertise.

"He would ask you how you were doing, he would respectfully say, 'Hey, listen, I've got a couple of ideas I'd like to share with you,' and he would actually give you the lures to catch what you needed to catch, an unbelievable guy really, a man for others."

Bruns said he and the whole fishing community are determined to bring Johnson home.