HI HI - Hauula, 'Barnacle Bill' UP6909, 19-25, SCUBA suit bought In Tacoma, Nov'82

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apearn said:
Ryo looks like a decent potential match. He's a little taller ( 3") and a little older (3 years) then is estimated for Bill but he's in the right place at the right time (ocean current wise I think) and they both seem to have brown hair.

Ryo's scenario would explain the cut off shorts too. I found a news article but it didn't mention much about the boating issue or exposure suits.
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In an adult, three years difference in age isn't enough to worry about.

I usually allow -/+ two inches for height, so if Bill is two inches taller than estimated and Ryo is even an inch shorter, they'd match.
 
Laughing said:
bbm

ahhh, we know our survival suited stranger as an ocean hitch-hiker....
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Would this unidentified person necessarily had to have been aboard a boat? A pilot who often times flies over the water may also have this type of suit.
And wouldn't most dive boats supply these suits and buy them in quantity straight from the manufacturer? Just some questions I had.
This sounds like someone going solo or in a small group.
 
T rex said:
Would this unidentified person necessarily had to have been aboard a boat? A pilot who often times flies over the water may also have this type of suit.
And wouldn't most dive boats supply these suits and buy them in quantity straight from the manufacturer? Just some questions I had.
This sounds like someone going solo or in a small group.
Click to expand...

Would a pilot be wearing an exposure suit? Just genuinely asking. If it were really cold?
 
MOTORUNNER said:
Would a pilot be wearing an exposure suit? Just genuinely asking. If it were really cold?
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I doubt if a pilot would be flying around wearing an exposure suit. I was just thinking maybe a pilot would have one just in case they went down in the water but I don't know if this is a precaution most pilots would take or not.
 
Nancy Drew RN said:
I would not think that a Hawaiian vessel would have survival suits, especially for an afternoon cruise?
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My thoughts exactly. The Hawaiian authorities didn’t even know what it was. This is a fascinating story though, and Barnacle Bill (or Bob) could easily (one would hope) have his dentals compared to the missing men, if they exist.
 
Bumping, or bobbing, for our buoyant Barnacle Bill.

(Alliterative is a close as I can get to cheesy poems today.)
 
Deleted, unsure if it was correct information.
 
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apearn said:
I ran across this today and it made me wonder if this explains the shorts he had on.

Transpac is a boat race from LA to Honolulu. In 1979 it had a record for the "Largest Fleet" of
80 yachts. There was also a race in 1981. I don't see a race listed for 1980, or, a complete list of any lost boats.

He could have spent time in the waters closer to Hawaii if he was tangled in a sunken boat for a bit before surfacing and drifting.


Transpac 2017


This has a list of participants and DNF (Did Not Finish?) and FAD (I don't know what that means) names. This is for the single handed races, meaning single person on the boat I think not one handed persons physically.

http://sfbaysss.org/archive-shtp-websites/SHTPCombinedResultsThru2012.htm

This has a list of boats for the 1979 race. They appear to all have multiple crew members so I'd assume someone who fell overboard would be noticed missing fairly soon and looked for. It's good info though.Lots of boats from lots of places participate.
https://socalsailingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/1979_Transpac_Program.compressed.pdf
Click to expand...

FAD - maybe Finished and Disqualified?
 
T rex said:
Would this unidentified person necessarily had to have been aboard a boat? A pilot who often times flies over the water may also have this type of suit.
And wouldn't most dive boats supply these suits and buy them in quantity straight from the manufacturer? Just some questions I had.
This sounds like someone going solo or in a small group.
Click to expand...

I was wondering about that too. I read that a helicopter disappeared during a rescue mission of a boat in distress during the timeline. Whenever I've seen video of rescues the person helping the foundering person into a rescue basket is also wearing a dry suit.

From the website: alaskashipwreck.com

August 7, 1981 U S Coast Guard helicopter HH3F crashed near Naked Island in Prince William Sound while on a rescue attempt. Lost were Ernest Rivas, John Snyder Jr, Joseph Spoja and Scott Finfrock.
 
apearn said:
Ryo looks like a decent potential match. He's a little taller ( 3") and a little older (3 years) then is estimated for Bill but he's in the right place at the right time (ocean current wise I think) and they both seem to have brown hair.

Ryo's scenario would explain the cut off shorts too. I found a news article but it didn't mention much about the boating issue or exposure suits.
Click to expand...
Looking for a photo of Ryo to add to my facebook group, Missing Military Personnel. Appreciate any help to find one. Thank you!
 
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