Chris Lee pinned as new Marine Patrol Colonel

Chris Lee was formally pinned during a ceremony today as the new Colonel of the N.C. Marine Patrol, the top law enforcement officer at the Division of Marine Fisheries.

Lee, who has worn the Marine Patrol uniform for 18 years and most recently served as Captain of Marine Patrol District 1, was pinned by his father with the golden eagles of a colonel at a ceremony at the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries headquarters in Morehead City. A pinning ceremony marks a significant advancement in a law enforcement officer’s career.

The Marine Patrol Colonel manages more than 64 individuals, including 57 officers and six dispatchers, and directs law enforcement efforts over 2.7 million acres of ocean and coastal fishing waters in 21 eastern counties.

“The N.C. Marine Patrol plays a vital role by enforcing fishing regulations and providing water, air and ground support to other DEQ divisions, including during emergencies,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “Colonel Lee will do an outstanding job because of his tremendous experience, vision, and commitment to the Marine Patrol’s mission.”

Lee took over as head of Marine Patrol Jan. 1, replacing Col. Carter Witten, who retired Dec. 31, 2025.

Lee brings a wealth of experience in rescue operations, which will help in strengthening the Division’s work with the N.C. Department of Emergency Management in keeping North Carolinians safe.

One of Lee’s most notable accomplishments is that he helped form and then served as captain of the Marine Patrol’s Swiftwater Rescue Team.

“That’s been one of the most rewarding things of my career,” Lee said. “The relationships we have made across the state have done wonders for us as an agency, and we are providing a better service to the citizens of North Carolina.”

Lee started building and training the rescue team in late 2019, and in 2021, it became the first state law enforcement-certified swiftwater rescue team in North Carolina. Lee says he cannot take sole credit for the team, as he has had to train alongside them.

“We were all learning together and trying to make it happen to better serve in times of need,” Lee said.

The team has been deployed numerous times across the state. In the fall of 2024, the team was one of 71 swiftwater rescue teams deployed to Western North Carolina to assist with rescuing motorists and residents from floodwaters of Hurricane Helene.

In addition to performing water rescues, Marine Patrol officers have flown DEQ staff to survey the extent of shoreline erosion and flooded animal waste operations after hurricanes, provided security in business districts hit by tornadoes, and helped transport food to flooded communities.

One of Lee’s goals as Colonel is to make the Marine Patrol even more of an asset to the people of North Carolina through training and working with North Carolina Emergency Management, while continuing to serve as the fisheries law enforcement agency.

Originally from Colerain, Lee spent his youth fishing on the Chowan River. In his free time, he helped his best friend’s family fish pound nets, crab pots and gill nets.

“My father instilled in me at a young age to respect the resource,” Lee said. “Law enforcement and enjoying the outdoors have been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember.”

Lee’s father was a deputy sheriff and later both parents were training coordinators for NC Department of Corrections. When he was 17, while vacationing with his family at Kill Devil Hills, Lee spotted a 26-foot N.C. Marine Patrol Regulator boat.

“That was the first time I’d ever heard of Marine Patrol,” Lee said. “To me, it sounded like a dream job.”

After high school, Lee attended N.C. Army National Guard boot camp and became an Infantryman in Bravo Company 1/120^th. In 2003, he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lee returned from overseas and began Basic Law Enforcement Training at Beaufort Community College and later worked for the Edenton Police Department before joining the Marine Patrol in March 2008. Lee worked his way through the ranks serving as a patrol officer in District 1, later as Sergeant and then as Captain of District 1, which runs from Ocracoke to the Virginia state line.

Lee completed his degree in criminal justice after joining the Marine Patrol. He was also certified as a general instructor and specialized firearms instructor through the N.C. Criminal Justice and Training Standards Commission. In 2012, Lee received the NC Marine Fisheries Enforcement Officer of the Year award from the Governor's Conservation Achievement Awards Program.

Lee was joined in his pinning by his wife Melissa, who pinned his badge; sons, Sonny and Banks; parents, Vernon and Tammy Lee; brother, Bryan Lee; and mother-in-law Kathy Rea.

View photos of the pinning ceremony.