Stephen LaSpino, 30, was last seen August 4, 1988, while on a commercial fishing trip out of the Big Sur area aboard a vessel named The Mission Bell. He was traveling with his employer, Vito Russo, Russo’s 13-year-old son Jason, and a coworker, Stacy Sabal. The group departed for the trip but never returned and were reported missing several days later.

Search efforts, including operations by the United States Coast Guard, combed the Big Sur region but turned up neither the boat nor its passengers. LaSpino is described as having brown hair, blue eyes, and a scar on his upper lip. The disappearance remains classified as a lost/injured missing case and no definitive evidence has emerged to explain what happened.

If anyone was on or near the Big Sur coast on or shortly after August 4, 1988, or has information about The Mission Bell or its occupants, please share what is known.