Hunters Missing in Severn River Identified

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Search efforts continue Wednesday for two missing hunters – now identified by state officials -- who went into the icy waters of the Severn River.

Maryland Natural Resources Police say the missing hunters area Earling Stephen Lamp, 23, of Stevensville and Matthew Davis, 23, of Glen Burnie. Authorities don’t believe the pair will be found alive.

Witnesses called 911 about 10:50 a.m. Tuesday reporting someone was in the water 100 yards from shore near Beach Road.

Baltimore Coast Guard said in a release that two bystanders on shore reported they heard screaming and saw one person in the water go under and not resurface.

A separate report came in, which responders matched to the initial report, stating there were two overdue boaters.

A Coast Guard boat crew aboard a 45-foot response boat launched from Annapolis to search for the boaters. Debris was found matching the description of what the two overdue boaters had aboard their 14-foot boat.

Maryland Natural Resources Police divers and Anne Arundel County firefighters recovered a Jon boat from the river Tuesday afternoon.

Searchers earlier located a life jacket and decoys about 100 yards from shore, said Maryland State Police.

Anne Arundel County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Russ Davies said late Tuesday that rescue efforts had switched to a recovery operation using surface search and side scan sonar. The search was suspended Tuesday night because of rough water.

Boat crews from Coast Guard Station Annapolis, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department, Anne Arundel Fire and a helicopter crew from Maryland State Police have been a part of the search.

»Photo from search for missing hunter, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Fire