Search suspended off Outer Banks for missing man and his dog, US Coast Guard says

UPDATE: The U.S. Coast Guard announced Sunday, Sept. 3, that it was suspending the search for Scott Johnson “pending the development of new information.” Searchers covered more than 1,168 square miles of ocean before calling a halt to the effort.

The original story is below.

A boat with a man and dog aboard has gone missing along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Scott Johnson, 47, and his dog, Baxter, were reported missing Thursday, Aug. 31, officials said in a news release.

“Johnson’s vehicle and boat trailer were located Thursday night by local detectives at North Carolina Wildlife Access Boat Ramp in the vicinity of Pirate’s Cove Marina,” Coast Guard officials said.

“Johnson reportedly said he was planning to take his 23-foot sport fisher underway to trouble shoot a maintenance issue he was having with the vessel. It is not known where he was going or how long he planned to be gone for.”

Pirate’s Cove Marina is near Manteo on Roanoke Island, just west of the Outer Banks.

Investigators say Johnson was last seen by a neighbor on Aug. 22.

The search began as remnants of two storms were impacting the Outer Banks: Tropical Storm Franklin in the Atlantic and Tropical Storm Idalia, which was rolling across the state from the west.

The storms caused elevated tides, rip currents, flooding and road overwash, the National Park Service reported.

This story was originally published September 1, 2023 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Search suspended off Outer Banks for missing man and his dog, US Coast Guard says."