Staff report
The body of a former Rowan County resident who drowned near Cape Lookout Friday night has been recovered.
A boater discovered the body of Steve Kluttz on Tuesday in the middle of the Cape Lookout Bight, said Barry Munyan, chief ranger at the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Kluttz’s body was found less than a quarter of a mile from where his boat capsized Friday, Munyan said.
Kluttz and Lonnie Brown of Faith, both longtime commercial fishermen, were flounder gigging around 8 p.m. Friday when a freakish wind and wave capsized their johnboat.
Brown was able to grab hold and hang on to the capsized boat, but the 62-year-old Kluttz wasn’t able to get to the vessel.
Saturday morning, Brown was rescued by fisherman who found him on top of the boat several miles from where the incident occurred. After treatment at Carteret General Hospital, he returned to his home in Faith.
Steve Kluttz was an East Rowan High School and N.C. State University graduate with a degree in architectural design.
In 1978, he opened a real estate estate firm in Salisbury with Wayne Lentz.
Kluttz’s brother, G.L. Kluttz, said today that Steve died doing what he loved.
“He loved fishing, he loved to take people fishing, he loved being out on the water,” G.L. Kluttz said. “Water was an important part of his life.”
Steve Kluttz had moved to Wilmington several years ago and was involved in various ventures. Each year he worked some months as a commercial fisherman based on Harker’s Island.