re: Former South Carolina QB and Tuscaloosa native Chris Smelley missing UPDATE: FOUND

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Helicopter spotted him at 7:12 pm. He was very close to spending the night at sea and who knows how far the current would have taken him by morning.

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UPDATE: Chris Smelley has been located by the US Coast Guard and is safe.

According to the Walton County Sheriffs, the 37-year-old was found without injury still in his kayak. Strong winds pushed Smelley miles out of Grayton Beach, where he had gone kayaking around 8:30 a.m.

Nearly 12 hours later, a Coast Guard helicopter detected him using a thermal camera, and because it was getting darker, they said that helped locate him.

Sheriffs said Smelley was waving and shouting with all his might.

The Coast Guard communicated with a boat from the Harbor Docks restaurant in Destin, FL, and that captain went to pick him up.

Immediately, WCSO said Smelley facetimed his family, who investigators said had been waiting on Grayton Beach all day for his safe return.

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incredibly thankful this had the outcome it did - Easter weekend -

Chris got the longest standing ovation at Founder Park when he returned with Alabama baseball after playing QB for Carolina football -

Gamecocks coincidentally happen to be in Chris' hometown tonight playing the Tide on the diamond - or maybe not -