On a summer day in July 2013, 53-year-old Scott Bates French told his wife he was going sailing from Sodus Point, New York, a trip from which he would never return. An avid and experienced sailor, French set out onto Lake Ontario on his 32-foot sailboat named Persnickety. Concerns arose when he failed to come back as expected. A few days after he was last seen, his boat was discovered run aground and deserted near Point Petre in Ontario, Canada, with the sails still up.
A passerby noticed the vessel and, upon finding it empty, alerted the authorities.
The discovery of the abandoned sailboat initiated a large-scale search and rescue operation involving both Canadian and American agencies. Crews scoured the waters of Lake Ontario for any sign of the missing sailor. Investigators examined the boat and its GPS navigation system, which indicated an unusual travel pattern. The data showed the Persnickety had sailed out from the Rochester area, turned back, and then veered off course, moving erratically before finally grounding at Point Petre. Despite the extensive search efforts, no trace of Scott French was found.
The investigation into Scott French's disappearance is being handled by the Brighton Police Department. At the time he went missing, he was described as a 53-year-old Caucasian male, standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds, with blond or strawberry-colored hair cut in a short crew cut and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing tan 'Docker's' khaki pants with suspenders, a white t-shirt, and grayish-brown 'New Balance' shoes, size 11, with orthotics. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain a mystery, leaving his family with unanswered questions and an ongoing sense of loss. The case continues to be an active missing person investigation, with authorities still seeking any information that could shed light on what happened to Scott French.Last Seen: Jul 14, 2013
