On the cold day of February 21, 2018, 35-year-old Bryan Michael Hamel was last seen in Erving, Massachusetts. He drove his vehicle onto the French King Bridge, a structure spanning the Connecticut River. The entire incident was captured by video surveillance, which showed him stopping his car and going over the rail. Law enforcement was alerted and arrived at the scene within a minute or two of him parking his vehicle, but he had already vanished.
When police arrived, they found his car in the middle of the bridge with the driver's door still open. Due to extreme weather conditions at the time, immediate recovery efforts were severely hampered. The turbulent waters of the river below made any search for his remains difficult, and authorities believed a recovery was unlikely.
Bryan was a decorated 16-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, holding the rank of Chief Petty Officer. At the time of his disappearance, he was president of the Chief's Mess at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida. Away from his distinguished military career, Bryan was a family man. He was married to his wife of nine years, Jenna, and was a father to their young son, Lucca. At the time he went missing, his wife was pregnant with their second child, a daughter who would be born in June of that year. He was remembered as a man with a passion for life, a talented photographer, a gifted writer, and an avid fisherman who enjoyed traveling the world. His body was covered in colorful and distinctive tattoos.
In the years following Bryan’s disappearance, his mother, Stacey Hamel, channeled her grief into advocacy. Faced with the tragic loss of her son, she became a prominent voice in the push to have safety barriers installed on the French King Bridge to prevent similar tragedies. Her efforts were aimed at ensuring no other family would have to endure the same pain. Although Bryan is presumed to have died on that February day, his body has never been recovered, and he officially remains a missing person. The case is a heartbreaking story of a dedicated serviceman and family man who disappeared under tragic circumstances, leaving behind a grieving family and a community impacted by the loss. His disappearance ultimately led to a successful push for safety measures on the bridge from which he vanished.Last Seen: Feb 21, 2018
