RedactedNarrative: On November 26, 2022, at approximately 2052 hours, I, OFC with the Maryland Natural Resources Police, along with OFC of the same agency, responded to a call in the Choptank River near Chancellor’s Pt for a check on the welfare of an overdue boater.  At approximately 2116 hours, Ofc1 and I arrived on the scene in our patrol vessel and started to search the surrounding area for a vessel matching the description.  The description of the vessel as provided by the USCG is as follows: a 14-15ft Aluminum boat, silver in color with maroon bottom paint, and with a 25hp Yamaha outboard motor.  While conducting our search, our dispatch relayed to us that we are looking for an individual last seen wearing a red jacket with blue jeans.
  
  At 2116 hours, Ofc1 received a picture of the Find My iPhone location of the subject’s phone from officers that were out with the victim's wife.  The location appeared to have pinged in the area between Chancellor’s Pt and Jamaica Pt on the Talbot County side of the Choptank River.  Ofc1 and I searched the area around the ping but were unable to locate the vessel.  At approximately 2132 hours, Ofc1 received another picture with an updated ping showing a new location across the river at Oyster Shell Pt on the Dorchester County shoreline.  At approximately 2145 hours, Ofc1 and I arrived in the area of Oyster Shell Pt and started our search.  I noticed an irregular shape on the shoreline and maneuvered my vessel closer.  I illuminated the object with the onboard spotlight and had Ofc1 use his binoculars to identify the object.  Ofc1 said identified the object as a vessel matching the description of the vessel we were looking for.
  
  At approximately 2146 hours, we tied our vessel up to the property’s pier and walked the marsh to the vessel.  When we arrived at the vessel at approximately 2148 hours, I relayed the vessel’s registration number on a silver aluminum vessel with maroon bottom paint powered by a 25hp Yamaha outboard.  
  
  When we arrived at the vessel, I observed the motor was running, in gear at roughly an idle speed, and the motor was pointing in a straight direction.  The vessel was beached on the shoreline of the marsh with the bow pointing towards the south.  We observed two fishing poles on the starboard side at the rear of the vessel behind the operator's seat.  The fishing lines were still in the water with a length of line consistent with an individual trolling for fish.  I walked up to the bow of the vessel and noticed there was a black plastic boat box.  When I opened the box, I noticed it was full of life jackets, and did not appear that any life jackets were missing.
  
  At approximately 2157 hours, Dorchester County’s Fire Boat arrived on the scene and relayed the GPS coordinates of the vessel’s location.  The GPS coordinates of where the vessel was located are N 38 34.867’ and W 076 00.071’. At approximately 2238 hours, I began our search of the shoreline on the Dorchester County side of the river.  Our search included illuminating the shoreline from the mouth of Indian Creek downriver to White Hall Creek.  I was also simultaneously running the vessel’s onboard Side Scan searching the river bottom.   
  
  At approximately 0000 hours, Ofc1 received a call to relay the vessel from the location we found it, up to the boat ramp in Secretary, Dorchester County MD so it could be placed on the trailer and hauled out of the water.  At 0048 hours, the vessel was secured on the trailer and turned over to the Natural Resource Police’s SOD Investigation units on scene.
  
  We were directed to meet at the Franklin St boat ramp located in Cambridge, MD, where the command post was established.  At 0200 hours, officers on scene were directed to pair up and conduct a surface search in a predetermined search grid at intervals of 30 minutes.  The search was recorded via a SarTopo mapping system and uploaded to the command post.  At approximately 0630 hours on November 27, 2022, I was relieved, and the search was handed over to the dayshift units on scene.
  
  
  The weather and sea conditions when the vessel was located were as follows: Air temp: 37 degrees Fahrenheit Winds: SSW at 5-10mph Seas: less than 1ft Water temp: 44.60 degrees Fahrenheit Visibility: Good Ambient Light: Dark with little to no artificial lighting
  
  All events occurred in Dorchester County and Talbot County, MD.
  
  
  Prior to being able to process the vessel, Subject1 made her way to the dock and observed the vessel. Subject1 stated that she did not observe anything to be out of place and that there did not appear to have been any struggle on the vessel. 
  
  Subject1 had last heard from Victim at approximately 1445 hours. Victim had sent a photo of himself on the vessel, with what appeared to be the Route 50 Bridge behind him. Victim sent a message with the photo stating that his fishing lines were in the water. Victim continuously shared his phone's location with Subject1 via the "Find My Phone" cellular application; at approximately 1630 hours, Subject1 observed Victim's phone in the area of Chancellor's Point and Jamacia Point. 
  
  Subject1 believed at that time that Victim was making his way back to the Secretary Boat Ramp, where he had launched his vessel from. At approximately 1720 hours, Subject1 attempted to contact Victim since she had not heard from him, and he was due back at sunset. I noted that sunset on November 26, 2022, was 1645 hours. Subject1 continued to attempt to contact Victim via text and phone calls. At approximately 2015 hours, she contacted her family members to meet her at the Secretary Boat Ramp. When she observed Victim's vehicle and boat trailer in the parking lot, she called emergency services.
  While speaking with Subject1, I observed that she was severely distressed. I then learned that at approximately 0000 hours, the United States Coast Guard had placed a Facebook post on their Mid-Atlantic page. The post described the incident and gave Victim's information. Subject1 had not notified any other family members of Victim's disappearance. Consequently, friends and family continuously tried to call and leave her messages.