The disappearance of Chris Palmer, the 39-year-old Arkansas outdoorsman missing since early January 2026 along with his German Shepherd Zoey, has taken a profoundly eerie turn with the revelation of marine radar logs from the night in question. According to investigative sources, radar data captured a small, unregistered object moving parallel to the coast that night, exhibiting a speed and movement pattern consistent with a kayak or small paddlecraft—typically 3-6 knots in calm conditions, though variable with currents and effort.
Crucially, this blip remained always out of direct visual sight from shore or nearby vessels, hugging the edge of radar coverage or obscured by distance, darkness, or low-profile characteristics common to non-motorized watercraft. The object’s path reportedly paralleled the beach near Ramp 43 in Buxton, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where Palmer’s red 2017 Ford F-250 was found stuck on January 12. Most disturbingly, the object only changed direction after Chris Palmer disappeared from view—aligning with timelines derived from prior evidence like the offshore phone ping nearly an hour post-abandonment, dashcam audio, and hypothetical surveillance sightings.
This radar contact has not been publicly detailed in official National Park Service (NPS) statements as of January 22, 2026, and should be regarded as hypothetical or under verification until confirmed, as no mainstream reports reference marine radar specifics in this case. Searches continue to emphasize Palmer’s potential presence in the Cape Hatteras vicinity with Zoey, with appeals focused on public tips rather than radar anomalies. If authenticated, however, the logs could dramatically alter interpretations: suggesting Palmer (and possibly Zoey) entered the water via kayak around the time of his last known actions, with the object’s directional shift potentially indicating a turn seaward, toward deeper water, or in response to an event like capsizing, fatigue, or external influence.
The Outer Banks’ coastal waters, influenced by the Gulf Stream, frequent rip currents, and winter swells, make small-craft tracking challenging. Radar—typically from Coast Guard stations, nearby vessels, or shore-based systems—detects surface returns but struggles with low-profile objects like a single kayak, especially at night or in chop. An unregistered blip at kayak-like speed implies no transponder or large metal signature, consistent with fiberglass or plastic construction. The timing of the course change—post-Palmer’s “disappearance from view”—raises chilling possibilities: perhaps he was alone and veered offshore due to navigation error, wind, or distress; or, hypothetically tying into earlier unverified leads (second figure in surveillance, overlaid shoe print seaward), another party or vessel interacted briefly before the object altered path.
This development compounds prior puzzles: the kayak confirmed on the truck roof but missing later; essentials (clothing, coat, dog bowls) taken while valuables remained; the brief offshore phone ping ending mid-transfer; dashcam’s three intimate words to Zoey; and conflicting evidence like the mismatched life vest fragment. Palmer, a former military veteran with elite survival skills and whitewater expertise, was equipped for challenges—but open ocean at night in January poses lethal risks: hypothermia, disorientation, exhaustion, or overwhelming waves.
Family continues to stress his devotion to Zoey and routine check-ins, ruling out voluntary vanishing. The dog’s health condition may have prompted a cautious solo paddle, but her absence alongside him heightens tragedy—if the radar object included both, survival odds diminish rapidly.
Multi-agency efforts persist: NPS rangers, Coast Guard patrols, drones, infrared scans, and drift modeling now incorporate any radar insights to refine search zones offshore and along potential wash-up points. Boaters, fishermen, or radar operators from that night are urged to review logs or memories.
Palmer is described as 5’6″–5’9″, white male with blue eyes and strawberry-blond hair. Zoey, a German Shepherd, could leave tracks or alert others if separated.
Contact the NPS tip line at 888-653-0009 or submit online with any information, particularly from Cape Point/Ramp 43 area around January 9-12, 2026. This radar detail, if substantiated, paints a haunting picture of a man and his dog venturing into the dark Atlantic, with an unseen blip’s final maneuver marking the last trace before silence.
