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“The Story of Logan Wood “
An Annual U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary RBS Story Article Written by Auxiliarist Christian Durante U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary CGD-SE
Did the title of this email catch your attention? I hope it did! This article is about a young man who at 18 years old had everything going for him. A loving family, many friends, a beloved dog and a passion for the outdoors. Logan Wood was a Small-Town American Boy.
A community member described him as: “Kind of like a shining star to us, a person that you want in your life. He is always positive and energetic, and just someone you want to work with and have around you. I mean he is a blessing, an avid fisherman, boater and swimmer, He just means an incredible amount to the entire community here”.
Logan Wood departed this life in February 2022 while on a duck hunting trip with his friends in Jones Island, South Carolina. He was alone on his boat during the trip when he got separated from his friends. When he disappeared, no one knew what happened to him…….
The Community Began To Worry……
A search commenced that involved the U.S. Coast Guard, South Carolina State Patrol, the Local Police and many community members who felt compelled on their own to start a search effort that went on for a month. A community banded together to try to find their native son. Despite their best efforts, a happy ending was not meant to be. Logan Wood was found on February 18th, 2022. His boat was found circling in the water and no life jacket was found on him. When he was lost, he was alone on his boat. There can be no definitive conclusions on how he ended up in the water. We can only make assumptions or try to figure it out ourselves. The Wood Family and his community was understandably heartbroken over his loss.
I heard about the story of Logan Wood during a 2022 Division Sector Training Weekend with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. USCG Auxiliary Members from all across South Florida attended the auxiliary training with informative class schedules that were prepared for class participants. As the Flotilla Staff Officer for Program Visits for my Flotilla 39 Unit, I felt pretty compelled to attend the class on “Recreational Boating Safety Outreach ” that was taught by a smart educational instructor named “Scott”. This class was on the tail-end of the training weekend. In all honesty, I was tired, a little exhausted and was falling asleep in class. Suddenly… Something jumped me awake, it was when the instructor showed Logan Woods picture and explained his story. When the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary conducts boating safety awareness events in their respective communities all across the country, the aim is to save lives through education. Education is a key foundation of that community outreach.
Grief Turned Into a Positive Force for Good………
It is not my place to speculate or say with certainty if boating safety knowledge would have saved Logan Wood’s Life. It might have. We know knowledge saves lives. I do not know the Logan Wood Family. Through their immense grief in losing Logan, the Wood Family turned that grief into a positive force for good. The family created “The Logan Wood Foundation” in his memory. The foundation aims to increase boating safety awareness through giving out free life jackets and engine-kill switches to the boating community. They want to make boating as safe as possible. The foundation is also introducing to the South Carolina Legislature: “Logan’s Law, which will provide FREE Boating and Hunting Safety courses to ALL High School students in the state of South Carolina as part of the Physical Education Curriculum. This will not only promote safe practices for all children in South Carolina as well as provide guidelines for a Boating Safety Course requirement (similar to the current Hunting Safety Course requirement) that anyone, Resident or Non-Resident, born on or after June 30, 1979 will be required to carry when operating a boat in the State of South Carolina”.
The two pieces of boating safety equipment that The Logan Wood Foundation gives out to boaters is “A Life Jacket” and “A Engine Kill Switch”. A Engine Kill Switch is a safety device that immediately shuts off the outboard or sterndrive if the helmsman becomes separated from the boat’s controls. The kill switch is a simple ON/OFF switch that completes an electrical circuit to the motor when it’s on, allowing it to run. When the switch is off, it breaks the electrical circuit to the motor, preventing the engine from running. The kill switch is attached to the helmsman, either physically or electronically. If the helmsman is thrown from the boat’s controls, the connection between the helmsman and the kill switch is severed and the switch automatically turns the engine off, thereby immobilizing the propeller and the boat. A life jacket is a personal flotation device in the form of a vest or suite that is worn by a user to prevent the wearer from drowning in a body of water. The device will keep the wearer afloat with their head and mouth above the surface.
When Logan Wood was found, he did not have a life jacket on, and his boat was found moving in circles nearby with the engine still running. You see why the foundation decided that these two pieces of equipment were important to hand out? We don’t know if he would have survived with these two vital life-saving pieces of equipment. We do know when you are on a boat out on the water, these two pieces of equipment are a good start to staying safe. The art of driving a boat is just as important as driving a vehicle. It requires care, planning and safety. This applies whether you are a boater or simply a passenger. You have a responsibility to keep yourself and others safe.
One of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s primary missions is to promote recreational boating safety.
We owe it the memory of Logan Wood, his family, and the boating community to keep each other safe.
Because #LoganWood…….
Links (Right Click on Some Links to go to the websites for more boating safety information)
Our U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary February 2026 Boating Safety Class Flyer is also attached for those that are interested in attending our February 2026 Class.
- U.S. Coast Guard Engine Cut-Off Switch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW7151iup0k
- Engine Cut-Off Switch Information: Engine/Propulsion Cut-Off Devices (uscgboating.org)
- The Logan Wood Foundation: Because Logan Wood
- News Article: Friends and family of missing boater handing out life jackets to other boaters in his honor | WCBD News 2 (counton2.com)
- Life Jackets: Life Jacket Types (boatus.org)
With Respect,
Mr. Christian Durante
Volunteer Auxiliarist
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
CGD-SE
Email: USCGAuxiliaryFlotilla1776@gmail.com
