****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.
Virginia Transfer Gabby White, Daughter of UNC Assistant Joanne Aluka-White, Commits to Tar Heels
Virginia guard Gabby White, who spent her freshman season with the Cavaliers, announced her commitment to join UNC out of the transfer portal Tuesday morning. View this post on Instagram White has strong local connections. A star at Seaforth High School in Pittsboro, White scored more than 1,900 career points and grabbed more than 1,100 […]
When UNC Didn't Offer a Class About the Art Market, a Student Created It Herself
There is always an interesting class to take at UNC-Chapel Hill, but not one exclusively focused on the business side of the art world.
Atlanta Dream Select UNC's Indya Nivar in 2nd Round of WNBA Draft
The Atlanta Dream selected former UNC standout Indya Nivar with the 28th pick in the second round of the WNBA Draft Monday night. League HER. Indya is headed to Atlanta! pic.twitter.com/sa5gaRDYy8 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) April 14, 2026 Originally from Apex, Nivar was named the North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and the […]
5-Star Commit Dylan Mingo Will Not Join UNC Men's Basketball
Five-star guard prospect Dylan Mingo, who pledged to join the UNC men’s basketball program for the 2026-27 season, will not come to Chapel Hill after all. Mingo, a 6-foot-5 guard from Long Island who ESPN rated as the No. 9 overall player in his recruiting class, originally committed to UNC on Feb. 17, less than […]
Jarin Stevenson to Return to UNC Men's Basketball for Senior Season
Jarin Stevenson will return to the UNC men’s basketball season and play his senior season in Chapel Hill for head coach Michael Malone. Stevenson made the announcement on social media Monday. View this post on Instagram The 6-foot-10 wing never formally entered his name to the NCAA transfer portal following the end of the men’s […]
Report: UNC Men's Basketball Hiring Former Providence Head Coach Kim English as Assistant
According to reports by both Inside Carolina and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the UNC men’s basketball program is hiring former Providence head coach Kim English to Michael Malone’s staff in Chapel Hill. English spent the past three seasons with the Friars, though Providence finished with losing record in both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, leading to […]
›