Coast Guard searching Mt. Pleasant for missing boater (Update: Body found)

Image by Coast Guard

Update May 3: A body found a few miles off the coast of Sullivan's Island has been identified as the missing boater, Ronald Fowler.

Autopsy results are expected today.

Update April 26: As of Thursday morning, the Coast Guard has suspended the search for Ronald Fowler.

A total of 15 search patterns were completed encompassing 7,324.5 Square Nautical Miles searched in 49-hours. 

First reporting: On Tuesday the Coast Guard began searching for an overdue boater 16-miles east of Charleston.

Missing is Ronald Fowler, 36 from Mt. Pleasant, who was last seen at noon on Monday.

A report came from someone a sailing vessel who spotted Fowler's 17-foot Mitzi skiff overturned 16-miles east of Charleston and alerted search and rescue controllers at Coast Guard Sector Charleston at approximately 1:30 p.m., Tuesday.

At approximately 2 p.m., an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew arrived on scene and identified that the boat belonged to Fowler.

Searching for Fowler:

  • MH-65 Dolphin helicopter rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Facility Charleston;
  • 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin rescue crew;
  • C-130 Hercules air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.; and
  • HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.

If anyone has information, please contact the Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center at (843) 740-7050. 

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