In the autumn of 2020, the family of Robert 'Robby' Gallagher grew increasingly concerned about his well-being. Living in Hawaii, a place he had been drawn to by his love for the ocean, the 31-year-old was struggling with the isolation brought on by the global pandemic. His family in California noticed a decline in his mental health and had tried to encourage him to seek professional help, but he was resistant. A talented surfer and lover of all water sports, Robert had found solace in the ocean, a therapy that was now restricted. The last time his mother spoke with him was a phone call on Halloween of 2020. Just two days later, on November 2, 2020, Robert Gallagher would vanish from the North Shore of Oahu.
On the day he disappeared, local police encountered Robert in Kahuku, observing that he was acting strangely. They offered to help, suggesting a visit to Kahuku Hospital, an offer he accepted. He was transported to the medical center by ambulance but did not stay to receive any treatment. A short time later, a woman saw Robert trying to open the door of a house near the hospital. He left behind a pair of body surfing fins at the location, a possession his family later confirmed was his. This would be the last confirmed sighting of him. He was wearing a t-shirt, board shorts, and sandals. All of his other belongings, including his passport which was at his mother's home in California, were left behind in the house he shared with roommates.
In the days that followed, Robert's brother persistently called his cell phone, hoping for an answer. Eventually, someone picked up. It was a person who had found the phone on the side of a road in Wahiawa, approximately twenty miles from the hospital where Robert was last seen. The battery was dead, and the individual had taken it home to charge it before answering. The phone was returned to the family, but a search of its contents yielded no clues to his whereabouts. Robert is described as a white male with blond hair and blue eyes, standing six feet tall and weighing between 155 and 175 pounds. He has distinctive scars on his forehead resulting from a bout with shingles. The investigation into his disappearance has not produced any evidence of foul play, and the circumstances remain a mystery. The case is an overview of a young man, deeply connected to the ocean, whose mental health struggles became more pronounced during a period of global isolation, leading to a sequence of troubling events that culminated in his disappearance. His case remains unsolved.
Last Seen: Nov 2, 2020
