Raymond Gregoire was 22 years old when he disappeared from the waters off Maine on February 1, 1982. Online missing-person listings identify him as a White/Caucasian male with brown hair and brown eyes, about 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, and approximately 165 to 175 pounds. His case is listed in NamUs as MP53364, with Cape Elizabeth, Maine, recorded as the place associated with his last contact.
The case has remained tied to the working waterfront and the dangers faced by commercial fishermen who left shore to earn a living in difficult and unpredictable conditions.
Raymond was one of three men aboard the fishing vessel Chica when it was lost. The other men were Darren Lavigne and Richard Danis. Public case summaries state that the men were aboard the Chica, described in missing-person records as a gillnetter, when the vessel sank roughly 40 miles southeast of Biddeford Pool. The federal appellate record concerning the vessel identifies the Chica as a fiberglass, single-screw fishing vessel and explains that Darren Lavigne had been hired to skipper it. On the morning of February 1, 1982, Lavigne and the vessel’s lessee observed gale warnings at the Coast Guard station in South Portland, with winds predicted at 25 to 40 knots, though the forecast suggested conditions might ease later.
Despite the warnings, the Chica left port around 5:00 p.m. According to the court record, the gale conditions were still present when a distress call came from the vessel shortly before 7:00 p.m. During the brief radio exchange, Lavigne reported that water was coming over the side, that he and the crew were putting on survival suits, and that they intended to go for the life raft. The transmission ended with the chilling report that the vessel was going over. Within an hour, two Coast Guard aircraft were searching near the coordinates Lavigne had provided, and the tanker Texaco Montana also joined the effort because it was close to the scene.
The search did not bring Raymond, Darren, or Richard home. Public records state that only a hatch cover and minor debris from the Chica were recovered, and the bodies of the crew were never found. Later litigation examined theories about why the Chica sank, including allegations about seaworthiness, survival equipment, and weather. The trial court ultimately found that the likely cause was the vessel broaching in adverse wind and sea conditions, and the appellate decision upheld that conclusion, describing a scenario in which the vessel lost stability in following seas, took water over the rail, and was overturned by the conditions.
Raymond Gregoire’s case remains a painful story of a young fisherman lost at sea with two other men during a winter evening off the Maine coast. The available public record gives only a limited picture of Raymond’s life, but it preserves the essential facts of his disappearance: he was last associated with Cape Elizabeth on February 1, 1982; he was aboard the Chica with Darren Lavigne and Richard Danis; the vessel encountered severe conditions after leaving port; a distress call was made shortly before the boat was lost; searchers recovered only limited debris; and Raymond was never recovered. In overview, this is the case of Raymond Gregoire, a 22-year-old man whose disappearance began as a maritime emergency aboard the Chica and endured as a missing-person case marked by loss, uncertainty, and the lasting absence felt by those who knew and loved him.Last Seen: Feb 1, 1982
