Jeffrey Kale was an expert angler and long experienced boatman who knew the waters off the Carolina coast well. (Family of Jeffrey Kale)

Early this month, Jeffery Kale headed out of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, to enjoy a day of offshore trolling. Kale, 47, was an expert angler and boatman who knew the waters well. 

He last seen around 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, when he left the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp and headed out the inlet in his well-equipped twin engine Cape Horn 32, as he had done many times before.

The Coast Guard began searching for Kale the next day after his family reported him missing.

Tuesday, April 9, another angler discovered Jeffrey’s boat nearly 83 miles east of Wrightsville Beach. The vessel had fishing gear engaged and was moving northeast at nearly 6 miles per hour. There was no one aboard and no visible damage to the vessel.

Kale's 32' Cape Horn was found empty, some 83 miles offshore, still trolling in open sea, without him. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina issued an urgent marine information bulletin to mariners in the area, requesting assistance locating Kale. Multiple U.S. Navy assets in the area responded to the urgent marine information bulletin and assisted the Coast Guard in the search. As this is written, he has not been located.

The USCG and various U.S. Navy aircraft and boats continued the search for Kale, but he was not located. A commercial towing company retrieved the boat and towed it to shore.

It’s likely no one will ever know for sure what happened to Jeff Kale on that solo fishing trip, but one very likely possibility is that he made a mistake common to solo anglers and boatmen. Standing at the transom to relieve yourself is very risky in a boat offshore and underway.

Wireless man overboard devices like this one can save your life if you fall out of your boat while it's in gear. (First Mate Products)

It’s a common sad refrain among rescue workers that those who drown in this way often are found with their fly down. It’s very easy to slip off the transom as you stand back there in a boat that’s rolling with the seas. And if the boat is underway, even at trolling speed, you’ll never catch up to it.

There are remedies, of course. One is always fish with a buddy who knows at least the basics of running the boat. Second is never leave the helm while the motors are in gear—so long as you’re behind the wheel with the safety lanyard attached, the boat is not going anywhere without you—if you step away from the controls, the lanyard pops the “kill switch” and the boat stops.

Fortunately now there are electronic devices that do this job even better. Fell Marine's MOB+ Basepack Wireless Engine Cutoff Switch and others attach to the boat’s ignition system with a key fob or wrist-watch type that you put on before you start the boat. If the device gets more than a few feet from the helm, the engines stop and an alarm buzzer goes off—so if you fall overboard, the boat won’t leave you behind. 

The devices cost from $250 to $500—cheap insurance for those who fish more than swimming distance from shore on their own. 

— Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com