Olivia Newton-John's Boyfriend Missing


Aug 22, 10:49 PM (ET)


LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Coast Guard is investigating the disappearance of Olivia Newton-John's longtime boyfriend, who failed to return from a sport-fishing trip off the California coast seven weeks ago.

Patrick Kim McDermott, 48, was listed as missing after he left San Pedro, 20 miles south of Los Angeles, on June 30 for the overnight trip.

Coast Guard officer Nathan Henise told The Associated Press on Monday that McDermott's personal belongings were found on the commercial vessel.

"We're treating it as a missing person case," Henise said. "Everyone is being interviewed, everyone on the boat."


McDermott was aboard the "Freedom," which embarked with 23 passengers and three crew members, said Frank Liversedge, landing manager at the boat's pier.

Liversedge said he called police and the Coast Guard after learning McDermott was missing and found his wallet and the other belongings in a fanny pack on the boat.

McDermott signed the passenger manifest when he boarded and was last seen eating in the galley, Chief Warrant Officer Scott Epperson told a news conference Monday afternoon. No one has told investigators they saw McDermott getting off, Epperson said.

Investigators have no leading theory of what happened and have not developed any meaningful leads, he added.

Newton-John urged anyone with information on McDermott's disappearance to contact authorities.

"I'm hopeful that my treasured friend is safe and well, and I'm grateful to the officials who are working so hard to find Patrick, whom I love very much," she said in a statement. "I ask anybody with information that could help to please, please come forward."

Gavin de Becker, a spokesman for Newton-John, said the singer was in "close and frequent contact" with McDermott's family and friends, as well as investigators.

Authorities said McDermott's family became concerned when he didn't attend a July 6 event. They contacted the Coast Guard after his car was found in the marina's parking lot on July 11.

McDermott, a cameraman, and Newton-John, 56, have been together for nine years.

Newton-John, who starred in the 1978 film "Grease" opposite John Travolta, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. After she beat the disease, she recorded the album "Gaia," documenting her experience.

olivia newton john is the sweetest famous gal alive and i won't hear any of this crazy talk.

i don't understand how this whole story is supposed to be "scandalizing" olivia, as if she's done something evil. can someone clear up that little angle for me?

what if there's a dark side to Olivia that we weren't aware of???

alls im sayin is...

Anxiety said:

If that's what I implied, I'm sorry. What I'm saying is that unfornately this tragedy might pique interest in her career again, altough I'm sure she doesn't want it. She was supposed to be on "The View" and one of the morning shows, ET says, to promote a CD coming out next week (I don't see it on Amazon...maybe, just maybe they meant to the two DVDs of her music videos).

While I really don't think she has anything to do with this. the media is suggesting she came forward very late and that this guy had money problems. so maybe he ran out of the country (sounds absurd, but it's possible). I don't think she's involved but it's things like this that sadly put people in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

VinnyM27 said:

nah, i wasn't necessarily pointing at anything you said, but i keep hearing mumbling about how it's scandalizing olivia, how she's a henpecking nag that made him go missing, how she's had him offed, blah blah blah...it makes me wonder if these people making the comments know who olivia IS.

Tom said:

I have no idea who that is? What did she do?

VinnyM27 said:

Its Natalie Wood, celebrity who drowned. Was on a boat with Christopher Walken and Robert Wagner. Some people suspect she was murdered.

i just bought the DVDs of 'Xanadu' and 'Sordid Lives' this weekend.

Anxiety said:

...but why the poo-poo face....?

Tom said:

Nah....Natalie was just high as a kite when she got into that dingy (she had a dependency on prescription medication), and she was a notoriously poor swimmer to boot....I remember the story very well from that time because, catch this (!) she was the first person I ever did a daily talk/oral presentation on for grade school (!!!!)...while all the other kids were doing their talks on George Washington, little O. busted out and did her first daily talk on Natalie Wood!!!! .....then, the next year I did Princess Grace right after she died...go figure....

...anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming on Olivia (another of my childhood heroes).