Missing Boater Found In Patuxent River

Port Republic, MD (November 7, 2010)  – Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) and other first responders found missing boater, Timothy Dale Bourne, 50, of Port Republic, Md. in the Patuxent River near Broomes Island. Bourne was reported missing when a fishing vessel sank.

On Saturday November 6, at 6:30 p.m., Thomas Eric Johnson, 46, of Hollywood, Md. was returning from fishing in his 20 foot Wellcraft when the vessel experienced engine trouble. Johnson anchored it and called a nearby marina for assistance. While Johnson and the other two occupants, Julius Lamond Camp, 37, of Leonardtown and Bourne waited for assistance, the vessel took a large wave over the stern causing it to sink.

All three occupants put on life jackets and jumped into the water. A jet skier who heard the victim’s call for help responded to their location. The skier was able to relay Johnson and Camp to shore. The jet skier could not locate Bourne, who was separated from the others due to the strong current in the river. Johnson and Camp were transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital for hypothermia.

NRP, the Coast Guard, and members from St. Leonard VFD, Prince Frederick VFD, Solomon’s VFD, and Benedict VFD searched the area by vessel. The Maryland State Police aviation searched by air. The search continued until midnight and resumed at Sunday morning and continued until 1:30 pm when Bourne’s body was located by members of the Calvert County Dive Team and Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department.

The NRP Special Operation Division continues to investigate the cause of the accident.

NRP responded to an earlier water rescue which occurred at 11:15 a.m. in the Chesapeake Bay, one mile south of Breezy Point. During this rescue, the vessel was taking on water and had five people on board. Units from NRP and Prince Frederick VFD were able to safety transport all five occupants off the vessel, which was eventually towed back to shore.

NRP is Maryland’s lead agency for maritime homeland security and responds to approximately 3,500 maritime incidents a year. These incidents range from boating accidents, distressed vessels, suspicious maritime activity and other various boating complaints. To report any incidents, please call the Natural Resources Police Communication Center at 800-628-9944.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 247 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov