Stephen Bailey was 25 when he was last seen off the coast of Balboa, California, on October 22, 1984. He and another man, Norman Sagona, left Avalon Harbor around 1:30 PM in a 13-foot skiff, following a sportfishing boat. Around 2:30 PM both men were observed deviating from their course; after that neither the skiff nor the men were ever found.

Bailey was a Caucasian male with blond or strawberry blond hair, about 5 feet 10 inches and 140 pounds. Both men had enough experience at sea that their disappearance—without significant wreckage or explanation—has remained puzzling. Theories mentioned include bad weather or equipment failure, but no concrete evidence has emerged to explain what happened that afternoon.

Anyone who was on or near the water off Balboa on October 22, 1984, or who has information about the skiff, the two men, or that day’s boating activity is asked to come forward.