Missing
Darrin Frank Bunker
Bunker, approximately 2007
Date and time person was reported missing : 10/03/2007
Missing location (approx) :
Dana Point, California
Missing classification : Lost/Injured Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 01/07/1966 (55)
Age at the time of disappearance: 41 years old
Height / Weight : 6'0 - 6'3, 190 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A gray polo shirt and blue jeans.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Bunker is a heavy smoker.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Bunker was last seen leaving Dana Point Harbor in his 30-foot sailboat, the Bug Trap, at 9:45 a.m. on October 3, 2007. He said he was going to sail to the San Diego, California area, possibly to Shelter Island, 60 miles away. He has never been heard from again.
On January 6, 2008, three months after Bunker's disappearance, his boat was found floating in 9,000 feet of water, 19 miles off the coast of the island of Kauai, Hawaii. There was no one on board, the mast was broken and there was fire damAge at the time of disappearance: to the inside cabin, which was in disarray, but there was no indication that anyone had been injured.
A rope was dangling off the boat into the sea. The rope had crabs on it, an indication that it had been in the water for a long time. Food, cigarettes, a duffle bag packed with DVDs, and Bunker's laptop computer were found on the boat.
Fire officials believe the fire on the boat started accidentally. Authorities do not believe foul play was involved in Bunker's disappearance. He had purchased the boat in August 2007; by October, he had not yet finished paying for it and it was still registered under the name of his previous owner.
Bunker is originally from Michigan. He quit his job in Michigan in 2005 and left a note for his mother, saying he was leaving. Two days later, he called his mother from Texas to say he was okay. His family did not heard from him again after that and only found out he was Missing location (approx) : news accounts. They describe him as a loner who was involved in computer programming.
Authorities believe Bunker had an accident at sea. He was not an experienced sailor. His remains have not been recovered.
Other information and links : ncy
Orange County Sheriff's Department
714-647-7055
September 2021 updates and sources
Orange County Sheriff's Department
The Orange County Register
NBC San Diego
The Garden Island
California Attorney General's Office
October 12, 2004. July 5, 2008; Description, clothing, jewerly and more : added.
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
