Teen Vanished From Boat; Captain Blew Nearly Twice Legal Limit

By Alex Morgan. Jul 8, 2026

Grayson Lake, June 24

Marly Kinney was 19 years old and out on the water on a summer evening in June when the boat she was riding came back to shore without her.

Her body was recovered from Grayson Lake in Kentucky on June 29, 2026, five days after she went missing. The man operating the boat, Cameron Conley, 23, was charged with operating a watercraft while intoxicated resulting in death. When law enforcement reached him at the marina, he submitted to a breath analysis test and registered a 0.137 blood alcohol content - nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08 for watercraft in Kentucky.

What Conley Told the Marina

According to a court citation obtained by local outlets WLEX and WLKY, Conley told marina staff after the incident that he had rented the boat and had been on the water with Kinney and her friends. Officers who made contact with him noted bloodshot and glassy eyes and detected the odor of alcohol on his breath. He admitted he had been drinking during the day.

The details of how Kinney came to go missing from the boat - the specific sequence of events on the water - had not been fully released by investigators as of this report.

Five Days on the Lake

Kinney was reported missing on June 24, 2026, after she did not return from the lake outing. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, alongside other state agencies, launched a multi-day search operation across Grayson Lake. On June 29, search crews located her body.

The circumstances surrounding her death - how she entered the water, what was happening in the moments before - remain part of an active investigation. Investigators have not confirmed publicly whether additional passengers were on the boat.

BWI Resulting in Death

Conley was charged under Kentucky boating under the influence statutes. Operating a motorized watercraft while intoxicated resulting in the death of another person is a felony under Kentucky law and carries enhanced penalties over standard BWI charges.

He is 23 years old and from the area near Grayson Lake. Bond information and a formal trial date had not been publicly set as of the time of this report. The case is being handled through Kentucky State Police and the Grayson County judicial system.

19 Years Old

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources conducted the five-day search for Kinney’s body. She was 19 years old.

What happened on that boat on June 24 - why the vessel returned without her - is what prosecutors say they intend to prove. Marly Kinney’s family is waiting for those answers.

References: Captain charged after teen on his boat vanishes and is later found dead