OUTER BANKS, N.C. — A man who was found dead offshore last week after leaving the Oregon Inlet on his boat was a beloved, longtime nurse practitioner with Outer Banks Health, the health system confirmed to WTKR News 3.
Outer Banks Health says they're mourning the loss of Carlson Johnson III, 49, of Kill Devil Hills, who went by "BJ." They shared the following statement:
Outer Banks Health is deeply saddened to learn of Carlson “BJ” Johnson’s passing. BJ has been a nurse practitioner with Outer Banks Health for more than 10 years and his unwavering commitment to serving the patients he loved made a profound difference in the lives of many. Outer Banks Health extends its deepest sympathies to all who knew BJ, including his family, friends, colleagues and patients.
Johnson was declared dead after a Good Samaritan found him unresponsive in the water last Thursday night, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. He was roughly two miles offshore, about four miles north of the inlet.
Officials got a report Wednesday night that Johnson, who left the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center with his dog that morning in a 17-foot Maycraft, hadn't returned. A widespread search involving Coast Guard aircrafts was underway when the Good Samaritan found him.
As of this writing, Johnson's dog and boat have not been located.
