Lonnie Johnson (photo shared by family)
CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — The Maryland Natural Resources Police has ended a three-week search for a missing Chesapeake Beach man after locating his body Thursday afternoon in the waters off Dorchester County.
Lonnie James Johnson, 65, was found deceased near Taylors Island after NRP aviators spotted a body from the department’s helicopter, Natural 1, while conducting an aerial search around 12:30 p.m. Dec. 4, the agency said. Officers responded to the northwest shoreline of Taylors Island, south of the mouth of the Little Choptank River, where the recovery was made.
Johnson’s 23-foot center console vessel was discovered unmanned Nov. 14 in the Taylors Island area, one day after he left Chesapeake Beach to go fishing on the afternoon of Nov. 13.
Search efforts continued for 21 days and involved Maryland State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, Civil Air Patrol, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Charles County Dive Rescue, Calvert County Rescue Dive Team, Baltimore County Police Department, Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department, St. Leonard Volunteer Fire Department, and numerous other allied agencies, volunteers and good Samaritans, according to NRP.
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