Missing Fisherman's Boat Found

A missing fisherman's boat was found Tuesday. The boat of missing fisherman Jeff Kale of Clover SC was found today off the North Carolina coast just hours after the United States Coast Guard called off the search. Kale went missing on Saturday, and a widespread search was conducted all of Sunday and Monday with no results.
Oak Island police said efforts to find Kale using cellphone location data were attempted but were not successful. Oak Island police said they tried to find Kale using cellphone data were attempted but were not successful.
On Tuesday as fisherman in the area spotted the 32 foot Cape Horn boat of Jeff Kale about 80 miles off the coast of Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina.
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#boatfound
#jeffkale
#missingfisherman

[@tinalouiseking]

Jeff Kale is a wonderful guy and has a wonderful beautiful family. We are all praying for his safe return🙏❤️

[@guyandottewhiskers2331]

Prayers he is found safe and for his family I had friend never found been 10 years!

[@DieterMelhorn]

Lack of closure sucks….

[@BrynhildRose]

Jeff is a 3rd cousin of mine. They have since suspended the search again, unfortunately, but I have not seen or heard of any other updates. Please keep his nearest and dearest in your thoughts and prayers.

[@TheBaitShoppe-CrumpTN]

🙏🙏🙏

[@dwayneroberts6616]

I can't even imagine the despair of falling out of your boat and watching it drive away. I hope they find this poor guy.

[@duanefukumoto3055]

Happened to my uncle a few years back. His boat was found running beached. Sad thing was his rods and reels was gone before authorities got there. We’re hoping that he had a heart attack and fell over so he wasn’t suffering trying to keep afloat.

[@dshow1658]

I jumped in to cool off and the wind blew my boat and I had a scary time catching it .

[@chrism2042]

MOB switch and ACR on a PFD. For years, I bass fished NC lakes and striper fished Smith Mtn lake VA mostly alone. I now look back on my younger self and think, I was an idiot! So many times at Smith Mtn lake below freezing temps, break of daylight, not a boat in sight and I was on the front deck of my 21' Carolina Skiff throwing a 10' cast net catching bait (without wearing a PFD). To make it worse, wearing full winter gear. Moved to the NC coast years ago and been just coastal fishing Wrightsville Beach area since then. I read an article about a guy trolling alone 15 miles off Wrightsville Beach, he was setting his gear and remembered reaching up to get a rod from T-top rocket launcher, next thing he knew, he was in the water watching his boat go further offshore. At least he was wearing a PFD. Two fishermen spotted the boat without a capt about 40 miles offshore, the guy that boarded the boat called the CG and gave them the tracking on the electronics, the CG found him within a short period of time. I run a Sportsman 247 bay boat which is very capable of rougher conditions, but I don't push my luck. I have been 10+ miles offshore when the conditions turned from 1.5' seas to 5'+ within a short period of time but was already working my way back in due to conditions. If I am alone, I fish inshore and close to the beach. I enjoy trolling but never go fishing with plans on trolling unless my wife or a friend can go. Bad things happen too fast. I had a friend on the boat, had just set the downrigger on the port side, as I turned around a swell hit the starboard side of boat and next thing I knew, I was falling overboard backwards, luckily as I was falling, I grabbed a rod holder and caught myself. But at least my friend was on the boat if I had went over. Anyone that trolls, especially alone, check out Fell Marine Man Overboard switch. My boat does not leave the dock without the ACR locator beacon. Not just offshore fishing, but there have been hundreds of boaters, campers, hikers and skiers lives that could have been saved if they had a $400 ACR or similar.

[@jeffhewitt2181]

MOB device on all my boats, and always where your life jacket when on the boat SOLO, I run a 37’ Seavee SOLO all the time, be safe for your family

[@michaeljameslee1847]

Thoughts and prayers for him, his entire family and friends🙏🙏

[@jeffreyneely9283]

Our Prayers are with the family and him..

[@bobbynewton9247]

Thanks for sharing Dieter. Prayers for him family and for all involved

[@geraldmoore3686]

Dieter, I put my life jacket on before my brother puts the boat in the water. I'm 82 and I can say I never even walk out on the dock without my jacket on. Is this over kill, I don't think so. I fish the Pee Dee river in S.C. and it runs like a tail race most of the time. We never know when we are going to meet God, but if this is how I meet him, I'll be wearing my jacker. I see it as part of my fishing gear and this insures me I'm going to have a good day of fishing, even if I end up in the water. You are the Goat of cat fishing. You have been a big help for me with my cat fishing.

[@cbrusharmy]

Thanks for sharing this teachable moment.

[@BassBashin]

Never go alone. It can be scary enough with friends during 3 to 4’ waves be safe out there!

[@dwayneroberts6616]

40 miles off shore is dangerous even with a full crew. That's a long way from help if a life threatening injury occurs and it's a long way back in rough conditions.

[@jonnathankirby3810]

40 MILES OFF SHORE ALONE WITH 5-7" SEAS??? WOW!!!

[@DieterMelhorn]

I was told 4-5 and 5-7…..either way it’s dangerous alone.

[@patrickseekins1299]

Very similar thing happened in same area around a decade ago in the same area. guy went out alone in a year or two old boat fishing. Found driven ashore near Myrtle Beach area. They tracked GPS and was on a slow trolling course then started to wander. Guy never found. Turns out I guy I worked with was his next door neighbor down on the sound. Said guy was late fifties and had retired to beach a couple years prior and bought a new nice boat like this one. He said he knew him and he was a nice guy and liked to go fishing. Two words of advice are : 1 )Pee in bottle and not getting on edge to pee. 2) Have a ACR ON YOU if offshore alone! Why buy an 80-100K boat and not spring for 4 to 600 for a compact device to save your life in true emergency.

[@DieterMelhorn]

Thanks for sharing that….it will make us all think….

[@bigtrout]

Man, I was in Lake Moultrie back in March with 10 mph winds. We both had on PFD's in a 17.5' deep V Bass Tracker, and in about 10 minutes decided, Nope & headed back. I can't imagine out of sight of land in the ocean, and solo. No Santee catfish, or any fish, worth risking life or even property.

[@terrywolverton4054]

🙏 Prayers for him and his family!

[@michaelleady9089]

Prayers 🙏

[@mikecandelaria2338]

Praying for him and his family.

[@scottporter6201]

Prayers for him and his family.

[@DieterMelhorn]

❤️❤️

[@cabochris100]

Here in Washington State several years back, my neighbor took his seaworthy 19' Arima out into the Pacific Ocean by himself after salmon. He went missing and his boat was found beached with the troling motor running. It was speculated that he fell out the stern relieving himself. His body was never found. Just imagine the feeling watching your boat troll away, while in cold water! Ever since then, I always harness myself to the boat when alone. Yes a pain, but at least a fighting chance to stay with/get back into your boat. I pray he is found alive.

[@ronbennett8026]

I remember once on solo trip trolling for dolphin 20-25 miles off Miami and came so close to going overboard (not wearing a pfd). My boat is a 20' open fisherman and I have a large mat of dri-dek panels at the stern area of the boat to keep the deck from getting beat up. With that being said, I had to take a leak. While leaning on the gunnel relieving myself, while in gear trolling, I took a little wave on the side and the dri-dek mat slipped out from under my feet and I went head over heals flipping over the gunnel. How I was able to get a death grip on the gunnel while flipping over it and hoist myself back into the boat with my legs in the water I'll never know. There was an angel with me on this day. All I could think about the remainder of the day was the thought of watching my boat slowly drive away from me without anything I could do. Although I still go out solo sometimes, I always wear a pfd now and I never stand at the gunnel taking a piss with the boat in gear. Godspeed to this guy.

[@javiercorreapr9977]

I have a large bottle with handle to relief myself, never over the rail. we were fishing once, lot of shadows and splashes in the water. A friend step up the gunwale to take a leak. we heard a scream, then a splash and when we looked, he was back in the boat, barely wet, eyes wide open...😮...😊

[@jameshill9043]

Find a bucket or a bottle or something. Pee into the scupper and wash it out if you have to. 😂😂

[@karenearl7358]

Continued 🙏🏼 for his safe return for him and his family.

[@docd-monik4380]

Sad to hear a fellow angler is missing. Prayers for him and his family

[@gabe0000]

Ur a good man

[@YakNfishNkc]

I go out on the water here in the Midwest by myself basically all the time. Whether it be on my boat or in my kayak, rarely do I wear a jacket unless on the Missouri River... I may rethink that now. I always have a PFD with me, but not always ON me. I am a very good swimmer, but if I was to hit my head on something and fall in, that wouldn't matter. WEAR YOUR PFD whenever in deep water and whenever actively traveling when you are alone. Prayers he is found ok.

[@bbrcummins1984]

Things happen fast, 🙏

[@HomesickforAlaska]

This is one of my "phobias" and the reason I ALWAYS wear an auto inflate PFD and I always have my EPRIB clipped to my vest. While we don't know all the details yet it sounds like this gentleman just kept stacking the odds against himself, 40+ miles offshore, somewhat heavy seas, by himself, possible heart condition, engines in gear away from the controls, no personal EPRIB, and probably no life vest. I pray that he is found alive.

[@jameshill9043]

This definitely makes you think about getting the MOB system

[@cfritz420]

Probably on the gunnel deploying the rigger and slipped off. Hopefully he was wearing a jacket and is found soon.

[@Mid-Atlantic_Outdoors]

Closest I've ever came to going in the ocean was standing on the side doing an outrigger. Hopefully he is found safe. It would be a miracle

[@DieterMelhorn]

It would be a miracle, but just maybe he makes it and is found.

[@mikeingeorgia1]

Most of my fishing trips in my boat have been alone. I wear a very comfortable life jacket so I’m not tempted to not wear it. I keep my cell phone in a float pack in the pocket of my life jacket. There’s a lot of things you have to think about and take care of when you’re doing boating things alone

[@DieterMelhorn]

Well said Mike….we should all learn from you! ❤️👍

[@bassdojo3925]

In 1999, I was on an aircraft carrier and we found a ship adrift with no passengers. It was cut loose during heavy seas. Belonged to Nabisco CEO. He gave us a year supply of cookies when we returned the boat.

[@koreywilliams4570]

Couldnt you design some kinda tether line that could clip to a harness and mount to a central point on a boat for times like that so if anything does happen you have a tether holding you to the boat so you cant float off.

[@kaboom4679]

Possible . But how many would actually use it ? PFDs are pretty cheap and effective , yet many still don't use them and I'm guilty of not wearing one myself at times . I will be rethinking my choices for sure .

[@russellstewart5414]

We all have done stupid things on the water. It’s fresh in our minds today but it’s not going to change the actions of some of us.

[@Mainekarter2004]

Well my Iphone automatically turns on thre lights when I enter an room, and turns them off when I leave.. SO I dont think the tech would cost mpore than a couple cases of beer.. PHONE KILL SWITCH..

[@riccochet704]

Let's be honest. I fish the same lakes at you around the Charlotte area. The amount of times I see idiots running 70+ in their bass boats with no PFD or kill switch on would make your head spin. It's even worse on salt water. No one wears PFD's or uses kill switches. Now I might bottom fish by myself off shore, but ain't no way I'm trolling by myself. Like you said, you fall in you it's a death sentence. PFD or not, your boat is going on without you. Your only saving grace would be to have an EPIRB on your PFD. But at 40-50 miles I'm not sure it'd matter.

[@williamkiser5611]

Does the finder of the boat get to keep it since being found in international waters?

[@kyle-ro3cd]

Sea tow has the boat and now is demanding basically a "ransom" for the boat.

[@Belmont148]

Prayers that he had a pfd on and they can target in on a location to bring him home to his family. What a tragic event. I always hate taking off the kill switch when in fear trolling even with someone else on the boat.

[@vincebeneke1615]

🙏🏻

[@ericbunch7801]

Our whole brotherhood of fishermen pray and send condolences to the family

[@DieterMelhorn]

Amen….❤️❤️❤️

[@aliciachermansky9058]

What I don't understand is and I am not a fisherman but the video when he left showed 6 rods on the back of the boat and when you look at the boat after it was found there looks to be only 1 rod in place. Is that bizarre to anyone or just me could this possibly be foul play somehow jeff was really friendly and an amazing person so if someone drove up to his boat and something bad happened besides him just falling out his boat and stole his equipment? I dunno just a thought

[@guermeisterdoodlebug7980]

Many, if not most, of the things you mentioned as his preparedness - EPIRB (boat), vhf, seaworthy boat, twin outboards, float plan, etc. - are pretty meaningless if dumped into the sea while peeing over the side or deploying an outrigger with motors running. Those are likeliest scenarios and I suspect outrigger since only one already set. Despite our hopes, we know the cause will probably never be known. Only hope is wearing a PFD, but we know most don’t. Like others, I have done these foolish things far offshore and know how lucky I am to be here to admit it.

[@ms_1133]

This is why you never go offshore by yourself!!

[@reelfun6042]

One outrigger deploy ? Wonder if he was setting up to troll . Stud up to put the other outrigger in place . Slipped hit his head and drowned . Terrible.

[@user-vf5zw3cm7l]

🙏🙏🙏

[@billarmstrong6277]

Had a battery catch fire on me a couple years ago, I was alone, thankfully it didn't end badly, such a wake up call

[@Rough_And_Rowdy_Concealment910]

That's crazy I heard about this because a guy I know is his brother inlaw also I'm located in jacksonville nc

[@profit-engine8001]

Wear a PFD with an epirb attached! A boat mounted epirb does no good if you go in the water! Prayers for this fisherman and his family!

[@Star_of_the_new_moon]

With all the advanced electronics why haven't the built a wireless remote lanyard especially for those who go alone. My e one that can be adjusted on the distance it would shutoff the motor

[@wyoung3170]

What does it make sense to me is that such an experience fishermen would go out so late under such weather conditions that just seems funny to me? Hopefully he's ok even after this amount of time.

[@gregorymcintyre5119]

I pray they find him alive and well🙏 for his family

[@FlTreasureHunter]

Complacency kills! I never fished alone without a life line “as much as it sucked”attached to my body! It only takes one wrong move and you are in the drink! Hope they find him! Also the personal epirb is not a bad way to go as you can not put a price on your life!

[@udtghost3860]

It happen some one is trolling and something must have happen with gear. If he fell over trolling, the boat took off, and he couldn't catch up to it because the motor was engaged it's a shame because if he was wearing a flotation device he could have had a chance them white tips are brutal.

[@brittoncorbin2858]

It’s possible he fell in when deploying the 2nd outrigger. If fishing alone a wireless kill switch is a must

[@Ras-wisdom]

Its good to wear the life jacket with emergency coast guard gps embedded but most fisherman dont wear them while fishing only when boat is sinking they put them on! He maybe fell off from a hard unexpected wave while fishing or huge fish pull him in with the rod! Never travel on boat solo to fish!

[@da8920]

Always tether yourself with a Kill Switch to the engine. If you hit something and go over, the engine will stop. Also always have a rope hanging over the boat to pull yourself back into the boat.

[@sicsemper02]

This is so sad. I love fishing alone and I like going offshore, but if you're going to do that, they make bluetooth kill switches now with wearable fobs that kill the engine if you get too far from the boat. They are a good idea if you are going to troll alone. Obviously prayers for his family and maybe he'll luck out and get found alive. But... it doesn't look good. It happens... and it's a scary thing for anglers who enjoy solo trolling.

[@juans3728]

I pray for him and his family, maybe the life jacket has a beacon that will alert other ships of his issue.

[@br18od]

I have a FELL MOB Kill Switch System on my boat just for this reason. 🙏for guy and family

[@jarocho0069]

they said today the found the boat 80 some miles away from he last see it

[@mutmutt8294]

If anything is gonna gonna happen its gonna happen out there "Captain Ron"

[@KM.130]

Hope for a happy ending to this. Very sad. Maybe they’ll get some useful info from the history on his plotter work backwards in wide swath over his track.

[@augustinevalentino947]

I can’t watch this . The thought of this happening gives me knots

[@scootertrash911]

The kill switch worked, but not the PFD.

[@BigfootVr]

thats my friends dads friend

[@DieterMelhorn]

It’s a terribly tragedy for him….

[@bankfishingislife5484]

i hope they find him. if i die fishing though.,. i cant complain its better then in traffic. though i would hate to drown. also if running a motor and walking around your boat. just get a long line for your kill switch. even at low speed its hard to swim to catch one thats running. i never wear my life jacket though im just using trolling motor to pick up trotlines. though i do put my kill switch on when im running the boat around.

[@panamacitybeachbum]

The sea is a cruel mistress.

[@user-bc1th8iq9e]

I hope he be ok and God has save him.

[@soundsidetoursnc]

Need to use FellMarine MOB switch. Kills the boat if you fall over. Won’t go outside without it.

[@marcobainsr1353]

I prea that they find him that's why you don't go fishing a loan anything can happen the sea has no mercy .

[@angusmackaskill3035]

wierd fact, 90% of drowned fishermen are found with their fly open. think about it.

[@DieterMelhorn]

Hehehehe….I’ve heard that, researched it, and never found anything to support that as fact.

[@angusmackaskill3035]

@@DieterMelhorn nothing spoils a good story more than facts. and just curious, how did you research this?

[@ronbennett8026]

Read my post related to this.

[@tonysimme8722]

I said the same thing. That was my first thought.

[@goodbonezz1289]

Makes complete sense. I can’t count the number of times I’ve taken a leak off the transom…and about every time I was tempted to just leave it in gear trolling..thinking ‘no way I’m letting myself fall off’, then putting it neutral anyway. You never know…and the idea of splashing off the back, only to watch my boat slowly troll away leaving me in the open water was too horrifying for my ego to overcome.

[@georgeallen7667]

Need to take a leak? Use a bottle, not the railing.

[@billarmstrong6277]

Btw I'm 66 and still think I'm the cocky life guard I was at 18!

[@jarocho0069]

always use kill switch

[@Dustydog2743]

wear the deadman cord

[@williamkiser5611]

Hope not hauling bales, going out to meet a passing freighter

[@williammartin2842]

Know a fella that was solo fishing 10 miles off the South Florida coast and slipped on fish guts and went into the water. He was trolling 4 or 6 lines and came up as the boat motored away at 6 knots. No kill switch attached. He said he felt like a coconut floating 10 miles out. From the boat he could see land but at water level he could barely see it. The boat was moving too fast so he started swimming towards shore. In that Gulf Stream current moving 6 mph he would have been 100 miles further North if he could make it to the shore. After a bit of survival swimming he looked and saw his boat turning in circles. He swam towards it and tried to grab hold but couldn't swim fast enough. Also worried about without getting chopped up by the single engine propeller. He was wearing bluejeans with wallet, cellphone, car keys, etc. He quickly stripped off all his clothes and when the boat cam around again he swam as fast as he could and grabbed the transom. Then he was right next to the three blade propeller holding on for dear life. Adrenaline rush propelled him into the boat. He shut down the engine and likely sobbed with relief. He nearly suffered the same fate as every other missing solo boaters.

[@dshow1658]

No of us were r kill switch cords

[@gregrobinson8512]

The ocean don't care.

[@1jimhublera]

something is fishy ..........................................just sayin ........................................:)

[@Spiederia]

Guarantee he was peeing and wasnt wearing a life vest.

[@brittoncorbin2858]

More than likely he fell in while deploying the second outrigger. Why would you troll with only one outrigger out

[@mikesaquariums4293]

Hope they find him. Maybe he has faked his death 😮

[@WeekendWarrioroutdoors16]

1st

[@carlosllama9979]

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏