Guma Leandro Aguiar, a 35-year-old millionaire-businessman, was last seen at sunset on June 19, 2012, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Home surveillance footage captured him leaving his private dock alone on his 30-foot Jupiter center-console boat, the T.T. Zion. A neighbor witnessed the boat speeding through the canals, creating a large wake. Aguiar navigated through Port Everglades in rough seas with four to five-foot swells, moving quickly and jumping waves.
That evening, boating conditions were poor, with thunderstorms, 20-mile-per-hour winds, and a small craft advisory in effect.
Aguiar, a Brazilian-born American energy industrialist, was known for his philanthropic support of various Jewish causes. He divided his time between the United States and Israel. He had a wife and four children. Just a day before his disappearance, a federal court judge had ordered that Aguiar's mental health records be presented in court as part of a lawsuit involving him and his uncle. There have been reports of Aguiar experiencing mental health issues in the months leading up to his disappearance.
About six hours after he was last seen, Aguiar's unoccupied boat washed ashore on Fort Lauderdale Beach near the Elbo Room bar. The boat's navigation lights were on, the keys were in the ignition, and the throttles were in the forward position, though the engines were off. His wallet, cell phone, and some clothing were found on board. There were no signs of a struggle. Data recovered from the boat's GPS and engines showed that the T.T. Zion had traveled north along the coast for about four miles offshore before experiencing steering problems due to a broken tie rod that connected the twin outboard engines. The boat had erratically sped up and slowed down before both engines suddenly stopped at 7:54 p.m.
The U.S. Coast Guard conducted a two-day search covering an area the size of Rhode Island but found no trace of Aguiar. Authorities believed that if he had accidentally fallen overboard, the ocean current would have pulled his body northward while the easterly winds pushed his boat toward the coast. In January 2015, at the request of his wife and mother, Guma Aguiar was declared legally dead, with the presumption being that he had accidentally drowned. His body has never been found. Immediately following his disappearance, his wife and mother began a legal battle for control of his $100 million estate.Last Seen: Jun 19, 2012
