Mark Everett Coates III, 18, went missing while boating on the Susquehanna River on Nov. 4

NEED TO KNOW

• A Maryland teen, Mark Everett Coates III, went missing while boating on Nov. 4
• The following day, his capsized vessel was discovered in the Susquehanna River
• After a weeklong search, the 18-year-old’s body was recovered from the river on Nov. 12

The search for a Maryland teen who went missing while boating has ended in tragedy.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (MNRP) announced on Thursday, Nov. 12, that the body of 18-year-old Mark Everett Coates III had been recovered from the Susquehanna River. Divers located Coates’ body on Thursday afternoon near Garrett Island.

“At approximately noon on Thursday, dive teams from the Maryland Natural Resources Police, Maryland State Police, and Baltimore County Police Department responded to the Susquehanna River between the Tydings Memorial Bridge (I-95) and the Hatem Memorial Bridge (US 40) after volunteer search personnel with the Christian Aid Ministries Pennsylvania Search & Rescue team (CAM SAR) located a target of interest offshore of Garrett Island using an underwater drone,” the MNRP said in a release. “Responding divers recovered the body, which was positively identified as Coates.”

The search for Coates began on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 5, when officials received a report of a 10-foot aluminum jon boat that was found capsized near Garrett Island, per an alert from the MNRP.

The teen had launched the vessel from the Water Street Boat Ramp in his home city of Havre de Grace, Md., and was last known to be operating the boat near the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at around 5 p.m. local time, the MNRP said.

At the time, Coates was seen wearing a chartreuse long-sleeved T-shirt and blue jeans.

On Nov. 5, the Susquehanna Hose Company issued a statement about its search efforts in the river.

“Weather conditions in the area are creating challenges in securing aviation resources to assist with the search,” the company said. “The United States Coast Guard is actively working to develop a plan to provide additional support.”

Following the recovery of Coates’ body from the Susquehanna, the United Cajun Navy — which assisted in the search by mobilizing volunteers and vessels — shared a Facebook post expressing condolences to the family of the teen, who was affectionately known as “Markie.”

“There are no words that can take away the pain of losing a child. This is not the outcome any of us prayed for, but we hope bringing Markie home gives his family some measure of peace in the difficult days ahead,” the post read. “Throughout this search, volunteers, first responders, boat operators, divers, drone teams, and community members came together with one purpose: to bring Markie home.”

“To Markie’s family: Thank you for trusting us and allowing us to stand beside you during one of the most difficult moments imaginable. Your love, strength, and determination touched every one of us,” the post continued. “Our work has always been about people and families who need someone to show up. We came to Maryland for Markie. We leave carrying his memory with us.”

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The United Cajun Navy added, “Rest peacefully, Markie. You mattered, and you will not be forgotten.”

Coates’ family told The Baltimore Sun that the 18-year-old studied welding at Harford Technical High School and went to work with his father after graduating. He also loved being on the water.

“His whole world was sunrise, sunset, rainbows and fish,” his mother, Dawn Fitzgerald, said. “I believe that God used Markie to pull people from all around the world to help them with their relationship with God, to keep their kids a little bit safer. I just feel like Markie’s spirit was so powerful that it was meant for something bigger like this.”

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