Father missing after boat found abandoned and anchored along Jersey shore, family says
This story was updated May 6 at 4:35 p.m. ET to include comments from Richard O’Day’s brother Gavin. O’Day has not been found as of May 6.
A father has been missing for days after his boat was found abandoned and anchored along the Jersey shore, his family says.
Richard O’Day, 54, of Rumson, set out on his Grady White Freedom boat from a private dock the morning of Sunday, May 1, and hasn’t been seen since, according to a post from his family shared by the Borough of Rumson Police Department.
His boat was found empty with his wallet and phone left behind in the Sandy Hook Bay, the May 4 post said. State police and the U.S. Coast Guard are also investigating.
O’Day is known as an experienced boater after having “spent his life on the water surfing and on boats,” the post said. It added that “his family and children are devastated.”
Gavin Rozzi, O’Day’s nephew, told NJ.com that his uncle’s disappearance is “a complete mystery.”
“We really have no idea how he could have disappeared like this, so at this point the family is just really trying to get closure and find out what happened — whatever the case may be.”
The family has launched a volunteer group search for O’Day taking place on May 5, according to a May 4 Facebook post. Dive teams have volunteered to help as well as individuals with drone cameras.
“Time and weather are crucial now,” the post said, describing the last few days as “gut wrenching” without O’Day.
Rumson police Det. Don Schneider confirmed to McClatchy News over the phone that O’Day’s family searched the Sandy Hook area on May 5. Additionally, police searched the bay side of Sandy Hook the morning of May 5 but didn’t find O’Day, he said.
O’Day’s brother Gavin told the Asbury Park Press that O’Day, one of eight siblings, is a “family man” who is “super dedicated to his three kids.”
Gavin spoke with McClatchy News over the phone and said that as of May 6, O’Day has not been found. He said it is “super important” for the public to be aware of that, especially for local fishermen, bird watchers, hikers, people on bikes and others who can keep an eye out in the area for him.
“We really want to recover Richard and bring him home,” Gavin said. “It’s one thing to lose somebody but to lose somebody and just to have a lot of unanswered questions and lack of closure is really tough — not only on our family, but particularly on his kids.”
He added that “a few different bodies unfortunately were found in the last few days in the New York Metro area, and people were calling into news outlets saying ‘oh that guy was found, so there’s no reason for people to be searching for him.’ So anything we can do to dispel the idea that he has been found would be immensely helpful.”
“Please help us bring Richard home to his family to give us some much needed peace,” the family’s Facebook post said.
State police are leading the investigation, according to Schneider.
“NJSP personnel are continuing the search for Mr. O’Day. This investigation is active and there are no additional details available,” state police spokesman Sgt. Philip Curry told McClatchy News in a statement on May 5.
Gavin said he understands state police have been scanning the water using sonar techniques “to try to locate anything that they might see on the bottom, in which case if they identify anything, divers would be brought in.”
When asked what could have happened to O’Day, Schneider said that as of May 5, Rumson police have “no idea.”
Rumson is located along New Jersey’s coast roughly 58 miles northeast of Trenton.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Father missing after boat found abandoned and anchored along Jersey shore, family says."
.jpg)