****UPDATE: Race organizers issued a statement from the family of van der Horst:

“The family of Charles Van Der Horst of Chapel Hill, NC is deeply saddened to confirm the loss of our beloved Charlie. He was participating in several stages of the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim when he went under at the finish of Stage 6. 

Charlie exemplified living life to its fullest. He put all of his passion and zest into everything he did, from his love of his family, friends and community, to his swimming to his work on social justice and in the medical field. At this time we ask that you respect our wishes for privacy as we mourn this tragic loss.”

__________

Divers are searching for a Chapel Hill man who went missing during Friday’s leg of a week-long race in the Hudson River.

CBS News in New York is reporting that rescue crews were in the water around 3 p.m. Friday and were expected to continue the search on Saturday.

The missing man has been identified as 67-year-old Charles van der Horst, who retired from the UNC School of Medicine as an infectious disease specialist. He specialized in AIDS research.

van der Horst was reportedly participating in the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim when he went missing.

UNC Health Care issued a statement via social media that said the School of Medicine “is shocked and saddened at the news that Dr. Charles van der Horst (retired from UNC) has been reported missing following a multi-day swimming race in New York’s Hudson River. Our thoughts are with Dr. van der Horst’s family at this time.”

Organizers called off Saturday’s final leg of the race.

Related Stories
‹
UNC: Phishing Incident Possibly Exposes Information of 3,700 Individuals
More than 3,700 individuals may have had their personal information exposed as a result of a data breach at the UNC School of Medicine. The university announced the breach on Tuesday, following a “lengthy and extensive review conducted by a leading independent forensic firm” found that “an unauthorized third party gained access to several email […]
Durham Tech Partners With UNC to Launch New Anesthesia Technology Program
Durham Tech is partnering with the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health Care to launch a new Anesthesia Technology program. It will be the only one of its kind in the state, and is expected be part of the 11 approved programs across the country. “We’re very excited about this collaboration,” said Durham Tech […]
Bond Proposal Could Bring New School of Medicine Facility to UNC
The UNC School of Medicine is introducing new curriculum and could be moving into a new facility. This was part of a presentation from Dr. Julie Byerley, vice dean for education and chief education officer at the school. She laid out curriculum changes to the Board of Trustees at its meeting on Thursday. Byerley said […]
Accidental Alarm Registration; "Better Back Care"; August Pet Adoption
If you're in Chapel Hill and you haven't registered your alarm yet, now is the time to do it.
UNC Football 2025 Spring Transfer Portal Window Tracker: Arrivals
The spring window of the college football transfer portal opened Wednesday, April 16 and will close Friday, April 25. Players who intend to transfer must enter their names into the portal before the window closes, but do not need to have selected their next school by then. Here is a summary of which players have […]
UNC Football 2025 Spring Transfer Portal Window Tracker: Departures
The spring window of the college football transfer portal opened Wednesday, April 16 and will close Friday, April 25. Players who intend to transfer must enter their names into the portal before the window closes, but do not need to have selected their next school by then. Here is a summary of which UNC players […]
UNC Football's Beau Atkinson, Sack Leader from 2024, to Enter Transfer Portal
UNC defensive end Beau Atkinson plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens Wednesday. Inside Carolina initially reported the news Tuesday night, and it was later shared by On3 Sports’ Hayes Fawcett. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hayes Fawcett (@hayesfawcett3) The Tar Heels concluded spring practice Saturday afternoon. A rising […]
UNC Baseball Stays Hot, Beats Charlotte at Boshamer Stadium
The Diamond Heels earned their third run-rule win in their last four games Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium, beating Charlotte 14-4. The game ended after UNC scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Carolina cruisin 😎 Make it three run-rules in four games for the Tar Heels!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/n30qD7rF5O — Carolina […]
UNC's Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakdeng Each Sign WNBA Contracts
Two former Tar Heel women’s basketball stars are getting their shots at the pros. UNC’s Alyssa Ustby signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Sparks Tuesday morning, and Maria Gakdeng signed with the Atlanta Dream later that day. The Sparks have signed Alyssa Ustby as an undrafted free agent. Welcome to Los Angeles, Alyssa! […]
UCLA Transfer Elina Aarnisalo Signs With UNC Women's Basketball
Guard Elina Aarnisalo, who spent her freshman season at UCLA, signed with head coach Courtney Banghart and the UNC women’s basketball program Tuesday morning. Aarnisalo has three seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining. Welcome to Blue Heaven 🙌 Excited to have Elina join the squad! pic.twitter.com/YmdCzPCHBs — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) April 15, 2025 Aarnisalo, originally […]
›