NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- Former lighting technician Patrick McDermott , best known as Olivia Newton-John 's boyfriend of nine years , mysteriously disappeared July 1 , 2005 . Olivia Newton-John and Patrick McDermott were together for nine years . Then he disappeared . He was n't on board the fishing boat `` Freedom '' when it returned to shore in San Pedro , California , after an overnight excursion . Investigators say he 'd visited Newton-John the day before with flowers , bid her farewell and ended their relationship . McDermott was seen boarding the vessel that evening with his fishing gear and a duffle bag . The 22 passengers and three crew members on board gave conflicting reports about his whereabouts both during and at the end of the trip . Police have determined that McDermott did indeed board the vessel , fished with the others and socialized on the boat both on June 30 and the next day , July 1 . However , the witness accounts conflict about what happened as the boat neared shore on the afternoon of July 1 . No one is quite sure when they last saw McDermott in the last 30 minutes of the voyage . Watch why this cold case is a real mystery » . McDermott paid his bar and kitchen tab , which consisted of two hot dogs and a Coke , a kitchen receipt shows . Then he seems to have vanished . Some witnesses told police they thought they saw McDermott get off the boat when it docked and walk toward the parking lot , but they can not be sure it was him . Ten days passed before relatives began a search for McDermott . They first became alarmed on July 6 when he did n't show up for a family gathering . Relatives found his car still parked at the San Pedro Marina where he 'd left it when he boarded the fishing vessel . Investigators then discovered McDermott had left personal items on the boat , including his wallet . As police looked into his background , they learned that McDermott had been facing a mountain of debt , including being ordered by a court to pay back child support payments for his 15-year-old son from a prior marriage . A Coast Guard investigation concluded that he was `` most likely drowned at sea . '' But some people believe he may be alive . Investigators have theorized that McDermott may have staged his death to escape financial pressures . Since McDermott disappeared , there have been hundreds of supposed sightings of him in Mexico . Private investigators and some police investigators speculate that McDermott may be hiding in the small village of Sayulita , 40 miles outside the resort town of Puerta Vallarta . A community of expatriates in Sayulita work as deckhands for the mega-yachts owned by billionaire South American businessmen . The Coast Guard , the lead investigative agency , says its case is closed . It found no evidence to support or disprove criminality or foul play in the McDermott disappearance . `` We spoke to dozens of witnesses on that vessel and we concluded any reported sightings of McDermott getting off that boat after it docked were not credible , '' said Scott Epperson , a Coast Guard spokesman in Long Beach . Although the investigation is officially closed , he encourages anyone with credible tips to please call the tip line at 310-521-4296 . McDermott was 48 years old at the time of his disappearance three years ago . He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds , with brown eyes and salt-and-pepper hair .
Patrick McDermott broke up with Patrick McDermott June 30 , 2005 before he vanished . He was seen boarding fishing boat on the day ; paid bar tab the day . Accounts vary as to whether he ever got off boat . Have information ? Call hundreds -521-4296 .