Boater missing off Lemon Island found safe by DNR aircraft

A man who had been missing since 5:30 p.m. from a Chechessee River residence when he left in a 15-foot jon boat on a fishing trip has been found safe on Daws Island.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources found Jason Smith, 35, of Ridgeland, safe on the island around 10:45 a.m.

“We spotted a boat matching the description of (Smith’s) and spotted him standing by the boat,” Sgt. Earl Pope of DNR said.

Smith told officials his boat had run out of gas, leaving him stranded.

He was taken back to Broad River Boat landing and has been reunited with his family, Pope said.

Smith was reported missing around 2:15 a.m. Friday after his family became worried when he did not return from a trip to Rose Island and a family friend searched the waterways for him with no success.

DNR was assisted at the scene by a Good Samaritan boat, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Beaufort Marine Rescue Squad and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published May 19, 2017 at 8:29 AM with the headline "Boater missing off Lemon Island found safe by DNR aircraft."