Former University of South Carolina quarterback Chris Smelley, who went missing while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, has been located by the U.S. Coast Guard nearly 12 hours after he was last seen. Law enforcement in Florida confirmed that Smelley, aged 37, had been found safe after being reported missing by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. Several local agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife agency were involved in the search efforts. The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans dispatched a helicopter to locate Smelley, who was found roughly two miles off the coast of Grayton Beach.
Footage shared by the Coast Guard showed the moment rescuers located Chris Smelley’s kayak, which he had been using for fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. He was then transferred to a friend’s vessel that had been searching for him in the area. Chris Smelley played three seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2006-2008, during which he had a 9-6 record as the team’s starting quarterback. In his final season, he completed 169 passes for 1,922 yards and 14 touchdowns across 12 games. He later transferred to Alabama in 2009 to play for the Crimson Tide baseball team. Currently, Smelley serves as the head football coach at Sylacauga High School.
The search for Chris Smelley involved multiple agencies and a helicopter dispatched by the U.S. Coast Guard, eventually leading to his location roughly two miles off the coast of Grayton Beach. Smelley had been reported missing after he was last seen going fishing in a kayak in the Gulf of Mexico. The search efforts, which lasted nearly 12 hours, resulted in his safe location by authorities. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife agency were part of the rescue operation to find the former SEC player.
Chris Smelley’s disappearance while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico prompted a search effort involving the U.S. Coast Guard, local agencies, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife agency. The former University of South Carolina quarterback, who was reported missing after leaving to go fishing at Grayton Beach, was located safely nearly 12 hours after he was last seen. The Coast Guard shared footage of his kayak being located before transferring Smelley to a friend’s vessel that had been searching for him in the area. After his time with the Gamecocks, Smelley transferred to Alabama to play baseball before eventually becoming the head football coach at Sylacauga High School.
Having been a starting quarterback for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2006-2008, Chris Smelley’s fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico ended with his reported disappearance and eventual safe location by the U.S. Coast Guard. His three seasons as the team’s quarterback saw a 9-6 record, with his final season including 169 passes for 1,922 yards and 14 touchdowns across 12 games. Following his time at South Carolina, Smelley transferred to Alabama to play baseball before transitioning to a position as the head football coach at Sylacauga High School. The search effort to find him involved multiple agencies and a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard, resulting in his safe recovery roughly two miles off the coast of Grayton Beach.
