What Happened to Patrick McDermott? Inside the Disappearance of Olivia Newton-John’s Former Boyfriend

Patrick McDermott‘s disappearance 20 years ago remains a mystery that continues to leave many questioning what truly happened.

On June 30, 2005, the cameraman, who dated Olivia Newton-John on and off for about nine years, went on an overnight fishing trip off the coast of California. He told his friends he would be back the following day, but he was never seen again after leaving San Pedro port.

McDermott was expected to attend a family function on July 6, 2005, but failed to show up. His absence prompted his loved ones to contact the Coast Guard at the time.

McDermott was not reported missing until July 11, 2005, when his ex-wife, Yvette Nipar, filed the report.

On the same day, his vehicle was found abandoned in the parking lot of the 22nd Street Marina. Investigators then confirmed they retrieved McDermott’s personal items and fishing equipment from the boat, including a tackle box and fishing poles.

Coast Guard investigator Dennis Nebrich said, “We are treating this as a Missing Person’s investigation and nothing other than that at this time. No one has seen Mr. McDermott since that day and no one has called us to say: ‘He’s back.’ But we are hoping that he will eventually show up.”

A source said Newton-John was in Australia when the news broke and immediately returned to Los Angeles when “she was contacted by the police, hoping of course that there had been some mistake and that Patrick would be found.”

Louise Pennell, a foreign correspondent for Seven Network Australia who closely followed the case, appeared in a sit-down with MSNBC-TV’s Dan Abrams amid speculation about McDermott’s case. He revealed the 48-year-old Korean-American was dealing with financial issues before his disappearance.

“What we do know is that there were some problems with finances. Patrick McDermott on the fishing boat The Freedom told the crew that he had some alimony troubles with his ex-wife, who is an actress,” Pennell claimed. “As far as I know, he complained about financial troubles with her… Whether he had financial difficulties and staged his disappearance, whether it was a murder or an abduction, no one seems to know.”

In connection with the statement, CBS News shared court documents showing that McDermott filed for bankruptcy in July 2000.

Meanwhile, Frank Liversedge, the manager of the 22nd Street Landing, shared more information about McDermott’s trip in the same interview.

“It left at 10:00 and returned at 8:00 p.m. the following night,” he told Abrams. “It’s evident he didn’t go on the boat with anyone else.He made reservations for one person.If he would have been with someone else, he would have made reservations for two people.”

Liversedge noted that the person assigned to clean up the boat found McDermott’s waist pack, which had his wallet, passport, car keys and other documents.

“So some people say that they saw him getting off the boat after the trip was over?” Abrams asked, to which Liversedge responded, “Yes.”

As witnesses claimed they saw McDermott following the trip, rumors that he was still alive and had faked his death spread rapidly.

Australian newspaperman Nick Papps said he believed McDermott escaped his debts in Los Angeles and decided to start a new life in Mexico.

“If you got nothing here for ya, what’s the point of staying here? So where do you go? You hop in a car, you drive through Mexico, where no one checks your passport. And you go to the Baja Peninsula. Which is known as a sunny place for shady people,” he assumed.

On August 10, 2009, the Coast Guard released a statement confirming it closed the case on September 15, 2006, as they “did not find any evidence of criminal action, suicide, accident or hoax in the disappearance of McDermott.”

A separate marine safety investigation was also conducted afterward, concluding on October 30, 2008.

“Both investigations suggest that McDermott was lost at sea,” said the Coast Guard.

Philip Klein, a private investigator hired by Dateline NBC to investigate the case, later published the book Lost at Sea: The Hunt for Patrick McDermott, in which he claimed McDermott was still alive. According to the author, McDermott went off the radar to escape his debts and help his son claim a $100,000 life insurance policy.

Months later, McDermott’s ex-wife wrote a letter to Jeff Bezos urging the Amazon founder to stop selling the book since Klein was “a well-known serial liar (who) is simply looking to be famous at the expense of an unfortunate tragedy in [their] lives.”

“My son has been through enough emotional torment over this. He has yet to be able to move on due to Mr Klein’s continual effort to keep him in the public eye,” Nipar, who starred on Melrose Place and 21 Jump Street, added.