Turner was last seen surfing off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia at approximately 10:45 a.m. on August 31, 1993. Two companions saw him off the beach in the 600 block of south Atlantic Drive before he vanished. When his friends realized he was missing, they ran to a nearby lighthouse for help. The resulting two-hour search uncovered no sign of Turner; he has never been heard from again.

Hurricane Emily had hit the area where Turner was surfing and the ocean was very rough. His disappearance prompted authorities to close the city's beaches until conditions improved. Turner lived in the 300 block of Woodbough Drive at the time that he vanished. He is presumed lost at sea, although his body was never found.