Prayers and support offered from far and wide to missing duck hunter Tyler Doyle’s wife

An Horry County wife and future mother searching for her missing husband has generated widespread interest across the region, the nation and even the globe.

People have reached out through the Facebook page of Lakelyn Doyle, Tyler Doyle’s wife, sending prayers and support in the search for the missing duck hunter, who was last seen Jan. 26.

Some of Lakelyn’s posts have received more than 4,000 views and have been shared nearly 2,000 times.

Posts have come from people from such places as Canada, Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, New York and Virginia. A Facebook group called “Help find Tyler Doyle” has nearly 9,000 members in just a few short days.

They have come from just about everywhere, said Riley Truett on Wednesday. Truett is Lakelyn’s best friend and is helping her communicate with all the requests and help flooding their inboxes.

Truett and her husband introduced Tyler to Lakelyn, she said. Once they met, they hit it off and later married in December 2021.

“He was always talking about Lakelyn; how this was his dream girl,” Truett said.

Fundraising efforts underway for Lakelyn Doyle and her unborn child, but be aware of scams

Truett shared that a GoFundMe account has been established for Lakelyn and people all over the country have shared her baby registry. Lakelyn is pregnant with the couple’s child, a little girl that will be named Paisley, her Facebook post said.

But there have already been potential scams surrounding efforts to support the family. Family and friends warned this week on Facebook of a fake GoFundMe account.

Lakelyn shared photos from her ultrasound Tuesday. “Tyler Doyle you have a little twin. I can’t wait for you to get here and see her. baby please come home. I beg you god to bring her daddy home,” she posted.

In addition to the GoFundMe account, Truett has been making bracelets that say “Tyler Strong” to sell with the profits going to the Doyle family. Others have been making and selling T-shirts.

Another woman is driving from Mississippi to South Carolina to deliver items that have been collected for the family, Truett said.

Truett said she has been by Lakelyn’s side daily, including at the Little River, S.C., landing across from Captain Archie’s where friends and family have gathered since Jan. 26, when Tyler was reported missing.

The search expanded Wednesday to Brunswick County, North Carolina, where some of Tyler’s items were found washed up on the shore in the Ocean Isle and Holden beach area.

Tyler Doyle loved racing, but ‘he loved duck hunting more,’ friend said

Truett described Tyler, who she said is 22 and not 23 as reported by police officials, as a person who “loved everybody,” and couldn’t stand it if someone was angry with him, making a point to call the person to “make things right.”

He also loved duck hunting, Truett said. “There is nothing more he loved, and racing,” she said. “But I think he loved duck hunting more.”

Tyler’s racing number is 38 and went by #38 Jr. He raced on dirt tracks with his father, whose car number is #38, Truett said.

Here’s what we know about what happened when Tyler went missing

Tyler was reported missing Jan. 26 when his boat reportedly began taking on water and sinking while duck hunting on a 16-foot jon boat in Little River, S.C.

The only other person on the jon boat was rescued from the north jetties, which connects the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. Authorities have not identified the second person, nor have they released the details of the accident.

Crews with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, as well as Horry County and North Myrtle Beach agencies, have been searching for the Loris man, who was last seen wearing a camo jacket and khaki pants, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Items, including waders and wallet, believed to belong to Tyler wash ashore on North Carolina beach

Lakelyn posted late Tuesday that waders, which are waterproof boots or overalls that extend from the foot to the thigh or higher, and photos of what appears to be Doyle’s license and wallet were found in the Ocean Isle and Holden beach areas.

In addition, more duck decoys were found Wednesday, according to Facebook posts from searchers.

Greg Lucas, with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, confirmed Wednesday afternoon that “air assets” from the SCDNR and the Brunswick County, N.C., Sheriff’s Office were deployed. In addition, boats from DNR, Brunswick County law enforcement and Horry County Fire Rescue were on the water Wednesday searching from the beach to offshore using sonar scans.

Over the last week, family took to social media to pay tribute and send prayers for the Doyle family.

Truett said the prayers have been a comfort for Lakelyn.

“His wife has a lot of hope that he’s somewhere out there,” Truett said. “If she has to be on that boat every day, that’s what she’ll do.”

‘It’s devastating to our community,’ local pastor says of missing boater

Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Conway is one of the many local churches that have posted a message on its outside marquee, encouraging people to pray for the Doyle family.

Pastor Denis McCorry said the Doyles are part of the community. And while Lakelyn and Tyler don’t attend McCorry’s church, some family members have ties to the church.

When church members found out what had happened, McCorry said the church immediately changed its sign to show its support.

“I don’t think there should be a moment or a day that goes by, especially in a situation like that, that we don’t lift up payers to the family,” McCorry said.

McCorry has seen the Facebook comments from people offering their prayers. He said he is always amazed at how people respond to a tragic event, regardless of their denomination or upbringing.

“This is where social media is being used properly,” McCorry said.

McCorry hopes that the prayers bring comfort and peace to Lakelyn and the family.

“It’s devastating to our community,” McCorry said. “We always think of these things happening elsewhere.”

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