Missing boater’s body found in Mississippi Sound

Many Coast residents are mourning this evening as a massive search for a Gulfport fisherman and hair salon owner ends today with sad news.
A nearly two day search by land, air, and coastal waters ended in tragedy Wednesday morning when DMR marine patrols discovered the body of missing boater 51-year-old Kevin Anderson near the shores of Ship Island. Sad news shared at a press conference late Wednesday morning, as authorities still try to piece together the moments leading up to Anderson’s unmanned boat running ashore empty early Tuesday morning. Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove said, “We brought the body into shore and he is currently being readied to be sent to Jackson for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death or any contributing factors to his death.”
Friends and family say on just about any given Monday you could see Kevin Anderson dropping his boat at Ken Combs Pier. When he didn’t return, the area became a staging ground for rescue workers searching for the missing boater. Kevin’s Salon is now a makeshift memorial for friends, family, and co-workers to gather together and lean on each other and share memories of what a great man that he was. Kevin’s Salon Employee Kimberly Ferguson said, “He would dance around here. He would cry with you. He would laugh. If you sneezed, he would bless you and well you know you better get someone else to bless you and so we would laugh about that. He was just an awesome person.”
With heavy hearts they placed flowers in Kevin’s chair and lifted each other up with stories about this man they called not only their boss, but also their friend. “He loved everybody. His son, his family, his friends, I mean his co-workers, we are all a big family here so it’s tough. It’s tough,” said Ferguson.
Through their pain they can’t help but smile knowing his memory and the legacy he left lives on.