Tyler Doyle Missing UPDATE: Cherry Grove, SC Disappearance and What Happened to the Duck Hunter?
CHERRY GROVE, South Carolina — August 26, 2026 — The disappearance of Tyler Doyle, a 22-year-old South Carolina duck hunter who vanished at sea on January 26, 2023, remains an unresolved case more than three years later. Doyle disappeared after the small boat he was aboard encountered trouble off the South Carolina coast, prompting a large-scale search involving multiple agencies.
According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), the case was investigated as a hunting and boating accident, and authorities stated that there was no evidence of foul play. (SC DNR)
Despite extensive searches, Doyle has never been recovered.
What Happened to Tyler Doyle?
Doyle disappeared on January 26, 2023, while on a duck-hunting trip near the north jetties where the Intracoastal Waterway meets the Atlantic Ocean in the Little River area. Reports indicate that the jon boat he was using began taking on water and ultimately drifted toward the ocean. (https://www.wect.com)
A distress call shortly before 5 p.m. initiated the emergency response. According to released 911 information, Doyle’s companion reported that the boat’s motor had stopped and that the vessel was drifting toward the ocean while Doyle was aboard. (WPDE)
The conditions reportedly made the rescue extremely difficult. Doyle’s companion attempted to reach him but was unable to do so safely because of the rough water. (WPDE)
The incident quickly developed into a major search-and-rescue operation.
Extensive Search for Missing South Carolina Boater
Multiple agencies participated in efforts to locate Doyle following his disappearance. Search resources included personnel working on the water and from the air, with agencies including SCDNR, Horry County Fire Rescue and the Civil Air Patrol involved in the operation. (https://www.wect.com)
The search continued for weeks and eventually involved additional resources and technical assistance. The circumstances of the disappearance generated substantial attention in North and South Carolina, particularly because Doyle’s body was never located.
According to later reporting, search crews located Doyle’s partially submerged boat along with duck-hunting equipment and personal belongings, but they did not find Doyle himself. (FITSNews)
Items Found Along the Coast
One of the most significant developments in the case involved personal belongings associated with Doyle.
WECT reported that Doyle’s waders and wallet were discovered on January 31, 2023, in Oak Island, North Carolina, several days after he disappeared. (https://www.wect.com)
The discovery of belongings along the coastline contributed to efforts to understand where the ocean currents may have carried evidence from the disappearance.
Reports have also described the recovery of duck decoys and portions of the boat. These findings have remained part of the broader evidence surrounding the case, although they have not led to the recovery of Doyle.
What Happened to Tyler Doyle?
The question of what happened to Tyler Doyle remains unanswered publicly because his body has never been recovered.
However, authorities have previously addressed speculation surrounding his disappearance. In February 2023, SCDNR stated that it continued searching for Doyle and reiterated its position that the case was being treated as a hunting/boating accident, with no foul play suspected. (SC DNR)
Later reporting has likewise noted that investigators believed the circumstances were consistent with a boating accident rather than a criminal disappearance. (https://www.wmbfnews.com)
That official position is important because numerous theories and rumors have circulated online over the years. Those theories should not be presented as established facts when investigators have not substantiated them.
Tyler Doyle Missing Update
More than three years after Doyle disappeared, the case continues to attract public attention. A recent 2026 report described his disappearance as still unresolved and stated that his body had never been recovered despite extensive searches involving local agencies, volunteers, sonar operators, aircraft and the U.S. Coast Guard. (FITSNews)
Community members continue to remember Doyle and share information concerning the disappearance. Public appeals have encouraged people along the Carolina coastline to remain alert for potentially relevant items or information.
However, members of the public should avoid conducting dangerous searches independently, particularly in ocean waters, inlets or other hazardous areas.
Tyler Doyle Missing: Current Status
As of August 26, 2026, Tyler Doyle remains missing and has not been publicly reported as recovered. His disappearance began on January 26, 2023, following a boating emergency during a duck-hunting trip near the Little River and Cherry Grove area. (https://www.wect.com)
His boat and several belongings were subsequently located, but Doyle himself has never been found. Authorities have previously stated that foul play was not suspected and that the disappearance was being investigated as a boating and hunting accident. (SC DNR)
For readers searching for “Tyler Doyle missing,” “Tyler Doyle update,” “Tyler Doyle Cherry Grove SC,” “Tyler Doyle missing January 26 2023,” “what happened to Tyler Doyle,” or “Tyler Doyle duck hunter disappearance,” the most accurate conclusion remains that Doyle has never been recovered, and the circumstances of his disappearance remain unresolved despite extensive search efforts.
Any new credible evidence should be provided directly to the appropriate authorities rather than circulated as speculation online.