James McDonald, 46, of Gainesville, Florida, was last seen October 8, 2012, after visiting a friend’s home in Suwannee to launch his yellow 17-foot Solstice kayak on the Suwannee River. He had recently experienced a breakup and seemed emotionally distressed. Neighbors reported seeing him launch the kayak on October 9, and the Suwannee flows toward the Gulf of Mexico, so investigators considered he might have been heading toward Ochlockonee Bay with possible stops at Apalachicola or St. George Island.

On October 14 a park ranger reported seeing a man matching McDonald’s description beside a large yellow kayak on the Ochlockonee River; that man appeared well prepared and did not ask for help. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife searches from October 15 to 17 turned up no trace of McDonald or the kayak. His truck was left undisturbed at the friend’s house, and his phone and credit card showed no activity. There were no signs of foul play, and his family describes this as uncharacteristic.

Does anyone who paddled the Suwannee or Ochlockonee in October 2012 recall seeing a yellow 17-foot kayak or a paddler who fits this description?