Cameron Conley, Ashland, Kentucky man arrested on DUI charges operating pontoon boat under the influence as Marly Kinney sister, gives new update on missing sister after ‘party boat’ leaving Grayson Lake only to later realize leaving without 19-year-old…..
In new updates surrounding the search for a missing 19-year-old Kentucky teen last seen with friends on a pontoon boat before vanishing, authorities have arrested the boat’s driver on DUI charges along with the missing girl’s sister sharing new revelations.
Marly Kinney was last seen on Wednesday approximately 4:00 p.m. on June 24, 2026 while ‘partying’ with at least 10 friends aboard a pontoon boat on Grayson Lake.
Investigators say Kinney reportedly entered the water to use the restroom, but her friends did not immediately realize she was missing. They were later unable to tell authorities the exact location on the lake where she had gone overboard.
Glassy eyed boat driver
Kentucky State Police charged the driver of the boat, 23-year-old Cameron Conley of Ashland, with operating a boat while under the influence according to FOX 56.
According to police, Conley went to the Grayson Lake Marina and reported that he was unable to locate a female friend who had been a passenger on the boat. That report prompted an immediate search for Marly.
When troopers arrived, they say they noticed Conley smelled of alcohol, had glassy, bloodshot eyes, and admitted to drinking. An Intoxilyzer test later reportedly showed his blood alcohol concentration was 0.135, well above Kentucky’s legal limit for operating a boat.
Conley was arrested Wednesday evening and booked into the Carter County Detention Center before being released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on July 22, LEX 18 reported.
Boat began driving away before revelers realizing Marly was no longer with the group
But there was more.
According to Kinney’s sister, Willow VanHoose, several people had gotten off the boat to use the bathroom. When they got back on, they began driving away before realizing Marly was no longer with the group.
Willow said they immediately circled back to the area where they believed they had last seen Marly, calling out for her, and asking nearby boaters if they had seen her before reporting her missing around 4 p.m. The sibling believes Marly had been missing since around 3 p.m.
Investigators have not said whether alcohol played a role in Marly’s disappearance, and it remains unclear whether Marly had consumed alcohol before she went missing.
Authorities from multiple agencies continue to search for Marly both in the lake and on surrounding trails. They are using sonar, K-9 teams and drones with thermal detectors in hopes of locating her.
