Thomas OConnor Missing Person Case

Mar 28, 2011

Jan 12, 2024

Thomas

OConnor

63

33

67 inches

140 lbs

150 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the summer of 1996, a 33-year-old man named Thomas Leo O'Connor vanished while on a sailing trip in Michigan. On July 12th, he was a passenger on a 1990 Pursuit sailboat, traveling from New Baltimore to Alpena. The waters of Lake Huron turned rough during their journey. It is believed that at some point during the turbulent conditions, approximately 11 miles north of Port Austin, Michigan, Tom fell overboard. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as a White male, 5'7" tall, weighing between 140 and 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue and white shirt, blue shorts, and tennis shoes. The circumstances surrounding the moment Thomas went into the water remain unclear. The incident was initially reported to the Coast Guard. Two days later, the Huron County Sheriff's Office took a report and opened an investigation into his disappearance. Despite search efforts, Thomas was never located. The vastness of Lake Huron and the unpredictable nature of its waters presented significant challenges to those searching for him. Years have passed since Thomas O'Connor was last seen, but his case remains open. Information provided by his family has been crucial in the ongoing investigation, with his daughter providing a DNA sample to aid in identification efforts should any remains be found. The official narrative is that he accidentally fell from the sailboat into the rough waters of Lake Huron. Without any witnesses to the specific moment he went overboard or any subsequent sightings, the case has grown cold. The disappearance of Thomas Leo O'Connor serves as a somber reminder of the dangers of the Great Lakes and has left his loved ones with unanswered questions.

Jul 12, 1996

Port Austin

Michigan

Huron County

9845

Huron County Sheriff's Office

Bad Axe

Michigan

Huron County

48413

Daryl Ford

Detective

250 East Huron Avenue, Michigan

9892696500

County

Law Enforcement

3866-96

Huron County Sheriff's Office

Brown

Blue

Blue

07/12/2026