Body found in Virginia belongs to teen missing since boat accident, police say

‘The Virginia Marine Police extends its deepest sympathy to the families of the victims,’ say officials

A boat carrying four teenagers capsized in Chincoteague Bay, Virginia, in January 2022 (John Angermeier / US Department of the Interior)

A body found in Virginia is that of a teenager who has been missing since a duck hunting boat accident earlier this year, authorities have confirmed.

Virginia Marine Police say the remains of Nathan Jenkins, 17, were discovered on Monday afternoon.

“At approximately 1.15pm, Virginia Marine Police officers recovered a body believed to be Nathan Jenkins, who has been missing since 1/22/22 following a boating accident which left one other dead,” the VMP said in a statement. “The Virginia Marine Police extends its deepest sympathy to the families of the victims.”

The body has not yet been positively identified by the medical examiner, the police force added.

Nathan had been missing since 22 January, when he and three other teens were thrown into the water near Curtis Merritt Harbor after their boat capsized.

Two of the passengers, aged 17 and 19, were rescued by a good Samaritan, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. They were rushed to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The fourth teen, 18-year-old Cory Alles, was killed. His body was later discovered by the US Coast Guard.

According to WTKR, the teenagers were duck hunting at the time of the accident. Some time after 9am, they got caught in a winter storm, and a wave flipped over their 16-foot boat.

Temperatures were frigid, with the water in the low 40s and air in the low 20s, with winds of up to 15 miles per hour, the news station reported.

A massive search began soon afterward. The Virginia Marine Police, Port Authority, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Beach Police, Virginia Beach Fire Department, Chesapeake Police Department, Chincoteague Police Department, and Accomack County Sheriff’s Office all participated.

The discovery of Nathan’s body means all four teens are now accounted for.