Donnel Sears was 29 when he was last seen from Madeira Beach, Florida. He and a friend, Michael Franzese, set out on a 10-foot Styrofoam sailboat on January 28, 1982, and were reported missing on January 30 after neither the men nor the boat returned. Local searches turned up no trace of either man or the vessel. The circumstances of their disappearance are unclear, and both remain classified as missing.

There is very little beyond those initial facts: the departure date, the tiny craft, and the absence of any recovery. If anyone has memories of that stretch of Gulf coast in late January 1982 or information about small-craft activity from Madeira Beach then, please share what is known or contact the authorities handling the case.