COBB ISLAND, MD – An Eastern Shore man who had been boating off the coast of Charles County Sunday, April 12 has been found dead after an extensive search, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) reported.
According to NRP Spokeswoman Candy Thomson, the body of Douglas Romano, 51 of Salisbury was located Monday afternoon, April 13 by the U.S. Coast Guard. Romano’s body was located near Cobb Bar, off the coast of Cobb Island, which is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Wicomico rivers.
Thomson said Romano left his home in Salisbury at around 9 a.m. Sunday, telling family he was taking his boat and was going to go look for fossils along the Potomac shoreline. Late Sunday evening, when Romano failed to return home, his wife notified police.
His vehicle and boat trailer were subsequently found at a marina.
A large search began at dawn Monday. Several vessels and a Coast Guard helicopter were used. Rangers at Westmoreland State Park in Montross, VA spotted Romano’s 12-foot skiff. According to Thomson the vessel’s motor was missing.
“A Station St. Inigoes boat crew located an unresponsive person in the water at approximately 2 p.m.,” a Coast Guard press release stated. “The crew took the person aboard and transferred him to emergency medical services personnel waiting on shore. The person in the water was identified as Romano by Maryland Natural Resource Police and pronounced deceased by a medical examiner. The Coast Guard searched for approximately seven hours.”
“The conditions Sunday were challenging,” said Thomson, who noted it was windy, the water rough and choppy, and the water temperature was only 55 degrees.
Romano’s body has been transported to Baltimore for an autopsy.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
Original story from the U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard is searching Monday, April 13, for a boater who was reported overdue near Cobb Island.
Missing is Douglas Romano.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore received a report from the Department of Natural Resources stating Romano failed to return home after a trip to Westmoreland State Park in Montross, Virginia, yesterday. Romano departed from Cobb Island at approximately 9 a.m. Sunday.
Sector Baltimore issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a 29-foot Response boat-Small II boat crew from Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Romano’s overturned boat was located from shore by Westmoreland State Park rangers. Station St. Inigoes arrived on scene and confirmed the boat belongs to Romano.