David Stortz Missing Person Case

On August 29, 2000, 41-year-old David Stortz set out for a day of clamming off the coast of Rockland, Maine. It was a routine he knew well, but one that would take a tragic turn. He was alone in his 12-foot boat, seated in a plastic lawn chair he had placed on board. This precarious seating arrangement, which positioned him higher than the boat's gunwales, would prove to be a fateful decision. At some point during his outing, the small vessel encountered a wave, and the resulting instability ejected him into the water. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as a White male, 5' 11" tall, weighing between 170 and 175 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He had a scar on his elbow and was last seen wearing a light blue t-shirt, jeans, and a khaki baseball hat.

The circumstances surrounding David's disappearance point to a sudden and unexpected accident. His intention was simply to go clamming, a common activity in the coastal community of Rockland. The use of a lawn chair in a small boat, however, created a dangerous situation where his stability was severely compromised. The impact of a wave was enough to throw him from the boat, leaving him in the water while his boat was adrift. The Maine Marine Patrol was the investigating agency that handled his case.

The official investigation into David Stortz's disappearance centered on the account of him being thrown from his boat. The search and recovery efforts that would have followed were not detailed in the available information. His case is a somber reminder of the unforgiving nature of the sea and the importance of maritime safety. The simple act of using inappropriate seating on a small vessel led to a chain of events that ended in his disappearance. The overview of his case highlights a single, critical decision that tragically altered the course of an ordinary day on the water, leaving his community with a sense of loss and a cautionary tale.
Last Seen: Aug 29, 2000

Missing Person / NamUs

joint resolution honoring those maine fishermen lost at sea