In the autumn of 1994, 25-year-old Omar Kahlil Shearer of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, traveled to Marco Island, Florida, for a weekend getaway with his friends, Kent Munro and David Madott. The three arrived on November 3 and planned to stay at the condominium owned by the family of their friend, Jeffrey Wandich. The group of four, all licensed scuba divers, intended to spend November 4 fishing and diving in the Gulf of Mexico aboard Wandich's pleasure boat, the *Sea Esta*.
Their excursion began around 8:00 a.m. on November 4, when they departed from the Marco River Marina. Their destination was the wreck of the *Baja California*, located approximately 55 miles southwest of Marco Island. Shortly after setting out, one of the boat's outboard motors showed signs of overheating, prompting a brief return to the marina for replacement thermostats. After acquiring the parts, they continued their journey, making a stop at the wreck of Ben's Barge, about four miles into the Gulf, to catch bait. Satisfied with the favorable weather conditions, they proceeded to the *Baja California* wreck.
Upon reaching their destination that afternoon, the group fished for about an hour before Munro began to feel seasick due to the increasing surf. They decided to proceed with their dive, leaving the *Sea Esta* unattended for approximately 15 minutes. When they surfaced around 3:30 p.m., they discovered the boat had mostly submerged, with only about three feet of its bow visible above the water. All four men were wearing wetsuits and had fully inflated buoyancy compensators. They held onto the boat's anchor rope as it remained partially afloat until about 7:00 p.m. Wandich later recounted that Shearer was the first to notice the boat was sinking completely, and at that moment, the anchor rope was ripped from their grasp.
As darkness fell and the seas swelled to six feet, the men began swimming together towards a United States Department of Defense light tower, situated about three miles east of the wreck. Wandich stated that he became momentarily overwhelmed with fear and turned away from the group. He recalled Shearer calling out to him multiple times, encouraging him to rejoin them. Wandich claimed he responded that he wasn't going off on his own, but when he turned back, he could no longer see his three friends in the turbulent water. After searching the waves for some time, Wandich swam to the tower alone, reaching it around 11:00 p.m. He remained there until he was rescued by the United States Coast Guard on the morning of November 6, at which point he learned that a search had been initiated on the evening of November 4 when they failed to return to port, and that his friends had not been found.
An extensive search operation was launched, but no trace of Omar Shearer, Kent Munro, or David Madott was ever found. Over the years, various theories about their disappearance have emerged, including speculation about a drug deal gone wrong or that they voluntarily vanished, but none of these rumors have been substantiated. An examination of the recovered *Sea Esta* suggested that the boat may have been overloaded, causing it to sink. The FBI briefly investigated the case but ultimately concluded that the incident was an accident and that the three men were likely lost at sea. Despite the passage of time, the families of the missing men continue to seek answers.
Last Seen: Nov 4, 1994
