Since Woman’s Day revealed Olivia Newton-John’s missing lover is hiding out in Mexico the search has hotted up. Dylan Howard is on the trail.
The broken road to Sayulita in Mexico is dwarfed by mist-wreathed mountains. As you weave in and out of the jungle, blink and you could miss the concealed turn-off to the tiny fishing village. And that’s exactly how Olivia Newton-John’s missing boyfriend Patrick McDermott likes it.
As Woman’s Day revealed in a worldwide exclusive last week, Patrick is believed to be living in the tiny coastal village after disappearing from an overnight fishing trip off the coast of California in 2005.
An official report by the US coastguard into the former cameraman’s disappearance concluded that Patrick had most likely drowned after falling overboard. But the case has been turned on it’s head since Woman’s Day revealed that private investigator Philip Klein had received a fax and proof-of-life photo from Patrick’s legal representative, confirming that he’s alive.
The coastguard is yet to officially reopen the case, but a coastguard spokesman has invited members of the public with information to come forward, paving the way for a new investigation.
“If we get information we consider credible and possible, we will re-open it,” Scott Epperson told Woman’s Day.
“The Woman’s Day story played big,” says Klein. “We’ve got about 250 tips, more, from parts further than Sayulita, which doesn’t surprise me. This is completely consistent with what we’ve established.”
Despite its picturesque beaches, Sayulita remains off the beaten track for most tourists. Nevertheless, it has a vibrant community of expatriates, many of whom told Woman’s Day they’ve seen Patrick roaming the cobblestone boulevards of the town that’s also a magnet for surfers, drifters and those wishing to escape their former lives.
Local resident Aldo says he saw Patrick two weeks ago, walking along Sayulita’s main street, a block from the beach.
“He was tall, he looks old. It was definitely him.”
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