Ted Haywood Wall, 21, and his friend and fellow commercial fisherman Harold Jeffrey Mays, also 21, were last seen the afternoon of November 13, 1980, aboard Mays’ 23-foot Sea Ox about 16 miles southeast of the Cape Hatteras inlet. Earlier that day another fisherman reportedly helped them repair and restart their 280-horsepower Volvo engine, and by about 1:30 p.m. all contact was lost.

A search was launched that evening and ultimately involved the Coast Guard, Navy, Marines and Air Force in a two-week effort covering an estimated 104,000 to 211,000 square miles. No wreckage, debris, personal effects or the boat itself were ever found; the Sea-Ox design included foam flotation that could keep it near the surface if swamped. Over the decades the absence of physical evidence has left the case unresolved.

Speculation has included possible foul play tied to drug activity among some fishermen in the area during winter months, but no charges were filed.

Did anyone on or near Cape Hatteras that day see the Sea-Ox or either man after 1:30 p.m. on November 13, 1980?