‘Wicked Tuna’ captain Charlie Griffin reportedly dies in boating accident

Charlie Griffin, a boat captain known for starring in the National Geographic series “Wicked Tuna,” reportedly died in a boating accident on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, several media outlets reported.

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A post on Griffin’s Reels of Fortune Wicked Tuna page on Facebook announced that “it is with the deepest sadness we report that Charlie Griffin and his beloved dog, Leila, have passed away in a boating accident today, March 4.

“Please keep family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. We will forever remember Griff!”

According to the Outer Banks Voice, Griffin’s 35-foot boat went missing on Sunday near the Oregon Inlet. Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard said the vessel is believed to have “capsized.”

Griffin appeared in 17 episodes of “Wicked Tuna: North vs. South” in 2017-18, according to IMDb.com. Griffin and his crew starred in seasons two through five of “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks,” winning the fourth season, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

An investigation began when officials with the Coast Guard’s 5th District were notified that a boat was overdue Sunday at about 11:35 p.m. EST, WVEC-TV reported.

The boat had departed from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and was headed to Wanchese, North Carolina, for repairs, according to the television station.

The Coast Guard and local first responders were searching the oceanfront between Nags Head and Rodanthe by water and with an all-terrain vehicle on the beach when the boat was found south of Oregon Inlet about 70 yards offshore, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

Search parties in that area found an “unresponsive person” and a deceased dog, a spokesperson told the newspaper. A medical examiner declared the person dead. Coast Guard officials have not released the name of the deceased person.

A Coast Guard spokesperson told E! Online that the last communication with the boat occurred at about 6:15 p.m. EST on Sunday.

One person is still reported as missing from the vessel, WAVY-TV reported.

Outer Banks social media pages were filled with tributes to Griffin, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

“He was an Outer Banks Original,” Jody O’Donnell, a local radio host, wrote on Facebook.  “We had him on the show a couple times when Griff was on ‘Wicked Tuna Outer Banks.’ Most of what I knew of him was from his old friend and fishing compadre Captain Marty Brill. I’m thinking of Marty and all of Griff’s family and friends during this trying time.”

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