Man Charged with Boating Under the Influence After Woman Disappears from Pontoon Boat in Kentucky

A 23-year-old man from Kentucky faces charges of boating under the influence (BUI) following the disappearance of a 19-year-old female passenger from his pontoon boat.

Cameron Conley was taken into custody on Wednesday for BUI after he informed staff at Grayson Lake Marina that Marly Kinney, 19, was no longer aboard his vessel and he was unable to locate her.

Initial Incident and Arrest

Kentucky State Police and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources were summoned to assist in the search efforts. Upon the arrival of state troopers, they detected an odor of alcohol on Conley's breath and inquired if he had been consuming alcoholic beverages. Court documents indicate Conley admitted to drinking and agreed to a breathalyzer test.

Conley's blood alcohol content (BAC) registered at 0.137, which is almost double the legal limit in Kentucky. Authorities reported that a subsequent test administered 20 minutes later showed a BAC of 0.135.

Conley was arrested and transported to the Carter County Detention Center, from which he has since been released.

Intensified Search Operations

Marly Kinney has been unaccounted for since approximately 4 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Lt. Chris Mulholland of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Lieutenant Mulholland stated that Kinney was accompanied by several other individuals on the boat, and investigators are uncertain about the precise time she left the vessel.

Search teams comprising personnel from various agencies have been actively looking for Kinney, both within the lake and along adjacent trails. The search operation utilizes sonar equipment, K9 units, and drones equipped with thermal imaging detectors in an effort to expedite her discovery.

By Friday, a contingent of 50 volunteers had joined the search for Kinney along the lake's banks, officials confirmed. Intermittent rainfall was noted as a factor impeding the search efforts.

As the search entered its third day, Lisa Jackson, a spokesperson for the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, indicated that ground teams had not reported any significant new developments.

Family's Plea and Description

Kinney's family issued a statement expressing their gratitude to law enforcement and first responders for their ongoing efforts to locate the young woman.

"We do not even know how to express our absolute gratitude to you all. We continue to have faith she will be found and brought back to us. We know we have the very best people doing all they can to bring her home," the family's statement read.

On Thursday, Kinney's sister, Willow VanHoose, shared photographs of her and provided a description of her attire at the time she went missing.

VanHoose detailed on social media that Marly was "wearing a pink-orange bikini that is strapless, and is likely to have no shoes. She wears gold jewelry and usually has a dainty gold cross necklace on." She also noted Marly has "many tattoos, a sword down her side, a spider on her thigh going around it, butterflies on her arm, a tiger on her arm, and fairies on her shoulder."