Man who died off Outer Banks had been on city council in Arkansas, officials say

The man who perished in a “water-related” incident off North Carolina’s Outer Banks was a prominent figure in his hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas, according to officials in his home state.

Robert Sloan Scroggin, a former member of the Fayetteville City Council, died on the afternoon of May 13, an obituary reports.

Specifics of the mishap have not been released by the National Park Service.

“A water-related fatality occurred off a beach in front of the village of Avon,” the NPS said. “Cape Hatteras National Seashore rangers and the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad provided immediate assistance and Dare County Emergency Medical Services provided additional medical care.”

Avon is a tourist destination bordered by the Pamlico Sound on the west and Atlantic Ocean on the east.

Coverage of Scroggin’s death in Arkansas notes he was a politician, educator and businessman.

“I am saddened to learn of the passing of former Council Member Sloan Scroggin,” Fayetteville Mayor Molly Rawn wrote in a May 13 social media post. “Sloan cared deeply about Fayetteville and dedicated years of service to our community through the Planning Commission, City Council, and his work helping people build homes and lives here in our city.”

Scroggin was a husband and father who represented of Ward 3 on the council from 2018 to 2022. He was also a mathematics instructor at the University of Arkansas, as well as a realtor and home remodeler, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports.

Avon is about a 230-mile southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Man who died off Outer Banks had been on city council in Arkansas, officials say."