Missing North Carolina man’s boat found 3,000 miles away in the Azores 

The boat of the retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldier from North Carolina who went missing seven months ago was found last week on the Azores Islands, 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. 

Joseph Matthew Johnson, 44, was reported missing in November after not returning from a fishing trip with a friend. He was last seen at the Federal Point Yacht Club in Carolina Beach at around 11 a.m. on November 22.  

While Johnson was not found, his vessel washed up ashore on the island of São Jorge, a small island in the Azores group about 1,000 miles from the coast of Portugal. 

Portuguese authorities contacted the Carolina Beach police reporting the 2006 Clearwater fishing boat. 

“The investigation is ongoing, and no additional information is available at this time,” police said in a statement.

The 19-foot vessel showed evidence of capsizing and was covered with barnacles and algae, leading police to think that it had been underwater for some time. 

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for Johnson in November after looking for him in nearly 7,500 square miles for 53 hours. 

Johnson’s mother still believes her son is still alive and has survived thanks to his military experience he gained when serving tours in Afghanistan and South America. 

“It’s not just hope,” Mary Kay Anderson told the newspaper. “We know he’s alive and are praying for his miraculous rescue … We’re getting close. He’s almost here, I can feel it.”