On September 13, 2014 at approximately 4:00 p.m., a concerned boater spotted a small, unoccupied boat drifting in the water. The boat was found off shore near the 400 block of W. Ocean View Avenue. The Virginia Marine Police, with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard, initially took custody of the boat. An extensive canvass of the area and surrounding water proved unsuccessful in locating a potential boater or its registered owner.
Approximately twelve hours later, on September 14, 2014 at 6:35 a.m., Norfolk Emergency Communications Center received a call from a concerned citizen regarding a possible body that had washed ashore near Inlet Road and E. Ocean View Avenue. The body has been positively identified as 51-year-old Milton Hayslett. Hayslett was also the registered owner of the unmoored boat. The investigation has been turned over to the Norfolk Police Department, and detectives are categorizing the incident as an "undetermined death." The Medical Examiner's Office will determine the exact cause of death.