A fishing trip on a spring day in 1988 ended in tragedy, leaving a family without answers for decades. Olen G. Smith, a 38-year-old man from Horseheads, New York, vanished on April 17, 1988, after a boat he was in capsized on Canandaigua Lake. That Sunday, Smith had taken two children out on the lake in a 15-foot fiberglass boat to go fishing at the south end. The weather took a turn, and the small vessel was quickly overwhelmed by high winds and waves, ultimately causing it to sink.
None of the three occupants were wearing any flotation devices at the time the boat went down.
In the frantic moments that followed the boat's sinking, local residents who witnessed the event were able to come to the aid of the two children, pulling them from the cold water to safety. However, those same rescuers tragically saw Olen Smith go under the surface of the water and not come back up. An immediate search was launched in an effort to find him, with divers scouring the area where he was last seen. Despite their exhaustive efforts, they were unable to locate him. Olen Smith was described as a Caucasian male, standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, with both brown hair and brown eyes.
The disappearance of Olen Smith has left a lasting void for his family and community. In the years that followed, the official search efforts concluded, but his case has remained open. The New York State Police continue to list him as a missing person, and the circumstances of that day on Canandaigua Lake are a somber reminder of the unpredictability of nature. The two children who were with him were rescued, but Olen was never seen again, leaving behind an unresolved case and a family left to wonder what happened in the final moments of his life. His body has never been recovered.Last Seen: Apr 17, 1988
