One of the most compelling UM segments features the story of the Sarah Jo, the 17 ft. Boston Whaler carrying 5 men fishing on their day off, which disappeared during a freak storm off of Maui. Nearly 10 years after the disappearance, the boat was located several thousand miles west on an atoll in the Marshall Island. Near the boat was a make-shift grave containing human remains, which would be identified positively as one of the missing men.

After re-watching the segment, and finding some supplemental articles online, I wanted to throw out several thoughts that I had regarding what might have happened.

1. The Men. Some thoughts that I had regarding the crew of the Sarah Jo. It strikes me as odd that 5 men would elect to squeeze into a Boston Whaler to go fishing for several hours. 5 people is alot to have on a 17ft. boat. Another odd fact is that 1 of them was a fisherman by trade. Why did that person decide to go out fishing on his day off? I can understand getting together with friends to go on a short pleasure cruise, or fly fishing in a river or on a large boat. To go out for several hours with 5 people on a relatively small boat just seems strange. Imagine multiple people with fish on their lines and trying to get them in the boat, and storing the catch. It's not impossible that they decided to go fishing on the spur of the moment. It's just odd that they decided to do so in what had to have been a cramped setting.

2. The Storm. The freak storm hit around 1 pm and the seas built to 20 - 30 ft. swells. An article I read, which interviewed someone who participated in the search for the men in a 26 ft. boat said at times his vessel was nearly verticle. Given the power of the storm, its difficult for me to believe that 1 or men went over the side of the Sarah Jo, and there's a good chance the boat capsized. It's just difficult to believe they weathered the storm ok in a 17 ft. boat.

3. The 1985 Survey. The atoll where the Sarah Jo was found supposedly was surveyed in 1985. If you re-watch the episode, Robert Stack uses unusual words to describe the survey. He says something to the effect of "a brother of one of the missing men claims that the island was surveyed in 1985, and nothing was found." The information appears to be second-hand. It makes me wonder whether a survey occured in 1985.

4. The grave. There was a theory that Chinese fisherman in the area illegally spotted the Sarah Jo and the remains of one of the men and buried it in the make-shift grave. In support of that theory, the strange "book" of sheaves of paper with aluminum patches, apparently is thought to be similar to a Chinese tradition. If so, why did they elect to place a make-shift cross as a marker? In other words, if they were not Christian (most likely an Eastern religion if you accept the theory regarding the paper), why place a Christian symbol as a marker? Also, in the UM segment, the jawbone is right under the stones and easily discoverable to anyone looking, almost as if it was placed there on purpose. I wonder if that mirrors reality?

5. The boat. It is extremely difficult for me to believe that the boat was located that close to the grave. If it was washed ashore in a storm, after several years, and subsequent storms, it would likely be washed out to sea, or at least moved a distance away. It seems very convenient that it remained so close to the grave. The boat appears to have been identified by the registration number. I wonder how difficult it might be to find a beat-up Boston Whaler and strip the existing registration number and replace it with the number matching the Sara Jo. Not difficult I'd imagine, especially since Boston Whalers do not typically change designs year to year.

6. Conclusion. As you likely guessed, I very much question the idea that the boat drifted from Maui to the atoll and someone discovered it contained the remains of a single individual and buried him nearby. It may have happened that way, but it seems extremely far-fetched.

Extremely interesting case. I thnk the most plausible explanation is that the men, at various stages, decided to swim to reach an island that they passed by as theorized by others. They decided to make a swim for it and perisshed, and Moorman was the last one who died of exposure or starvation and was burried by the inhabitant.

Anyone have any pictures of the location in the atoll where the boat was found, a picture of the boat itself, or a picture of the grave or even a overhead location on google maps? I can't seem to find that in any of the threads about this.

Extremely interesting case. I thnk the most plausible explanation is that the men, at various stages, decided to swim to reach an island that they passed by as theorized by others. They decided to make a swim for it and perisshed, and Moorman was the last one who died of exposure or starvation and was burried by the inhabitant.

Anyone have any pictures of the location in the atoll where the boat was found, a picture of the boat itself, or a picture of the grave or even a overhead location on google maps? I can't seem to find that in any of the threads about this.

The hyperlink contains a good description of the atoll, along with a photo. The boat was returned to Hawaii and Moorman was interred in LA.

http://www.writersbeat.com/showthread.php?t=1628

The boat could have been drug up and placed near the burial (by last of survivor(s)) as a kind of marker in hopes that someone would find the boat, and then the grave and have some idea who the body might be.

The boat could have been drug up and placed near the burial (by last of survivor(s)) as a kind of marker in hopes that someone would find the boat, and then the grave and have some idea who the body might be.

The article which is hyperlinked in the response above sheds some insight. When found, the boat was partially buried in the sand, suggesting that successive storms may have caused the sand to cover it. The grave was more of a cairn with shells and coral covering the remains (not a dirt covered grave as featured in the UM segment. Interestingly, the lack of bleeching would indicate that they were buried for only a short period of time before discovery. After searching the island, additional remains of the person who was buried were found in various parts of the atoll. Pieces of his scalp and hair were imbedded in part of the boat, suggesting that he died in the boat.

The article really does lead one to believe that the men perished in the days following their disappearance, with some of them being washed overboard, or pehaps swimming for one of the Hawaiian islands, which they might have been able to see. The person who was buried, may have covered himself or lay at the bottom of the boat before dying. The boat may have been covered by sand when it reached the atoll, causing it to escape notice for several years. :(

This is one of those cases where I really wish there was more information available about the scene, men, etc. There is hardly anything on line except for a few media stories and the "Phantoms" story.

It's kind of curious that no pictures were really taken of this area, what the boat/grave looked like, etc. This is for sheer curiousity - I know that this may not solve the mystery but it would shed some light on how things really looked as to compare them with the Unsolved Mysteries story. My best guest is the other men's bones have been swept away by the ocean currents and that they drown.

I've indeed read the "Phantoms" story which is very well written by someone who obviously knew the men.

A private investigator traveled to the Marshall islands to investigate. He found some crew members of a Taiwanese fishing boat and they mentioned they saw the grave. He speculates that some other fishing vessel probably found the body and buried it. The Taiwanese didn't report it because they were fishing in the area illegally.

At any rate, it is a fascinating case.

A private investigator traveled to the Marshall islands to investigate. He found some crew members of a Taiwanese fishing boat and they mentioned they saw the grave. He speculates that some other fishing vessel probably found the body and buried it. The Taiwanese didn't report it because they were fishing in the area illegally.

At any rate, it is a fascinating case.

Some have speculated that the note paper interleaved with aluminum foil is part of a Bhuddist burial practice (I believe it represents money for the afterlife). If so, it would lend credence to the theory that Taiwanese or Chinese fishermen were responsible for the grave. Here's the problem though, if it was done as part of a Bhuddist tradition, why erect the makeshift cross out of driftwood? Why take the time to make the cross out of driftwood (which is not a simple task) at all, unless you wanted to mark the grave, or you knew the religion of the person you were burying? Also, if you wanted to bury the remains, why leave the lower jawbone almost exposed at the top of the cairn of shells and coral? Given that the atoll was only a few feet above sea level and presumably susceptible to high winds and storm surge, how could the cross stay up for any significant length of time?

So many unanswered questions?

Some cultures readily mix ancient religious practices in with their christianity, so I don't find it incongruous that both the joss paper and the cross were put up. It also could be as simple as some of the crew that buried him were of mixed faiths. Everybody did their part.

What I didn't like about it was that it was the same man that found the boat that was involved earlier on apart from that I don't think it an unbelievable story. It's possible the fishermen who found the boat and the body could tell they were American and presumed it should have a cross as a marker and I don't think there was a survey UM added that to boost the mystery.