MA MA - Abbie Flynn, 60, went for walk before Super Bowl party, Gloucester, 2 Feb 2020

[Hap]

Wow! @PipingPlover2 I had not heard of this. The ocean sure is powerful and unpredictable, isn't it? Looks so welcoming but can be deadly. Here's a news article on that tragedy
Friends’ reunion ends in tragedy - The Boston Globe

"David Machado took the lead and was having the time of his life, flailing his arms like a child as he walked over the rocks, Mayo-Machado said. But the tide was sweeping in and pounding the shore with waves.

Mayo-Machado says she heard her husband scream, and the two women thought he was just being silly. But the screaming continued.

“He had no control of the situation; it was written all over his face,” Mayo-Machado said Monday evening. “I was screaming to him, to grab hold of rocks, but everything was covered in moss and wet and slippery. The waves were slamming him against the wall and the rocks.”...."

 

[Spider92]

Wow! @PipingPlover2 I had not heard of this. The ocean sure is powerful and unpredictable, isn't it? Looks so welcoming but can be deadly. Here's a news article on that tragedy
Friends’ reunion ends in tragedy - The Boston Globe

"David Machado took the lead and was having the time of his life, flailing his arms like a child as he walked over the rocks, Mayo-Machado said. But the tide was sweeping in and pounding the shore with waves.

Mayo-Machado says she heard her husband scream, and the two women thought he was just being silly. But the screaming continued.

“He had no control of the situation; it was written all over his face,” Mayo-Machado said Monday evening. “I was screaming to him, to grab hold of rocks, but everything was covered in moss and wet and slippery. The waves were slamming him against the wall and the rocks.”...."

When David drowned in May 2013, were the conditions unusually rough? The description of “waves slamming him” makes me wonder if it was a post storm swell.

 

[roguelady]

I would love to know if Abbie's home had security cameras and, if so, what do they reveal? I suppose it's possible that they felt no need to have a security system, but I am guessing that they must have once since it's an expensive home and they also do not live there year round. These missing persons cases are so frustrating because we are only thrown a few crumbs and so much of the scenario doesn't make sense (to me, anyway.) When was the last time someone physically saw her? I know she face-timed her son mid-afternoon. Was the door unlocked when her guests arrived at 6 pm? If there was a camera showing the front of the house, surely it would show Abbie taking off for her afternoon stroll? Maybe it did, and that's why the authorities are so certain that she went for a walk and most likely ended up in the water. Very sad.

 

[donskysmumz]

I would love to know if Abbie's home had security cameras and, if so, what do they reveal? I suppose it's possible that they felt no need to have a security system, but I am guessing that they must have once since it's an expensive home and they also do not live there year round. These missing persons cases are so frustrating because we are only thrown a few crumbs and so much of the scenario doesn't make sense (to me, anyway.) When was the last time someone physically saw her? I know she face-timed her son mid-afternoon. Was the door unlocked when her guests arrived at 6 pm? If there was a camera showing the front of the house, surely it would show Abbie taking off for her afternoon stroll? Maybe it did, and that's why the authorities are so certain that she went for a walk and most likely ended up in the water. Very sad.

Yes. So many unanswered questions. It doesn’t seem like there’s any new information coming from family, friends or police since the police chief’’s podcast. I feel like until Abbie is found , and maybe not even then, will we know more.

 

[donskysmumz]

I've been thinking about this, her scent ended at the end of her driveway. That means someone was parked there and took her away. Doesn't that make sense??

I watched the Police Chief's podcast again. I found confusing his response to the question about the dogs and her scent ending at the end of her driveway . The question was asked poorly- something like "there's a rumor that A dog CAN only pick up A scent to the end of the driveway" and could she have been picked up by someone? (made it sound like it was not asking specifically what happened w/ dogs in Abbie's case. The chief's response was to the effect that - Yup, I thought that that was possible. But that's not probable because there would've been another person involved, conversations, and "she didn't mention it" (She WHO - Abbie? well certainly if she was abducted she wouldn't have been mentioning it to others in advance!!) And he said there's no evidence of that (meaning what -- it would've been on cameras?) and "what do you do with that?" . I find it odd that when he was asked earlier about whether canines picked up any scent he had clearly said "NO" , just the 2 blood spatters that were proven to be from animals. He didn't say anything about her scent picked up outside her house.

 

[Yemelyan]

I watched the Police Chief's podcast again. I found confusing his response to the question about the dogs and her scent ending at the end of her driveway . The question was asked poorly- something like "there's a rumor that A dog CAN only pick up A scent to the end of the driveway" and could she have been picked up by someone? (made it sound like it was not asking specifically what happened w/ dogs in Abbie's case. The chief's response was to the effect that - Yup, I thought that that was possible. But that's not probable because there would've been another person involved, conversations, and "she didn't mention it" (She WHO - Abbie? well certainly if she was abducted she wouldn't have been mentioning it to others in advance!!) And he said there's no evidence of that (meaning what -- it would've been on cameras?) and "what do you do with that?" . I find it odd that when he was asked earlier about whether canines picked up any scent he had clearly said "NO" , just the 2 blood spatters that were proven to be from animals. He didn't say anything about her scent picked up outside her house.

It was confusing. JMO but I don't think he was really answering the question "is it true her scent was only tracked to the end of her driveway." I think he was sidestepping that question but unfortunately people have run with that question as though it was a fact.

 

[donskysmumz]

It was confusing. JMO but I don't think he was really answering the question "is it true her scent was only tracked to the end of her driveway." I think he was sidestepping that question but unfortunately people have run with that question as though it was a fact.

I agree. People are taking it as he confirmed that the dogs picked up scent only to the end of the driveway but I didn’t take it that way.

 

[siliconrod]

Investigation into Flynn disappearance continues

Nothing new to report from LE. I hope local SAR groups are planning a search in the near future.
It has been very quiet lately in regards to Abbie.

 

[Hap]

When David drowned in May 2013, were the conditions unusually rough? The description of “waves slamming him” makes me wonder if it was a post storm swell.

@Spider92 hard to say. The ocean can change from one day to another. You can never let your guard down.

 

[skybluesea]

Most recent news. Nothing new reported.
Investigation into Flynn disappearance continues

 

[afitzy]

FB Group about Brace Cove - some good photos of the area to give an idea of what walking in the area might have been like for AF.

Brace Cove - Gloucester, Massachusetts - Landmark & Historical Place, Beach | Facebook

 

[Spider92]

FB Group about Brace Cove - some good photos of the area to give an idea of what walking in the area might have been like for AF.

Brace Cove - Gloucester, Massachusetts - Landmark & Historical Place, Beach | Facebook

Good photos indeed.
How in the world does the family deal with this? Do they just go back to their jobs and college studies and wait for a phone call? Do they stay at the Gloucester house and search the coast each day? What a painful state of limbo they must find themselves.

 

[Falcon500]

Good photos indeed.
How in the world does the family deal with this? Do they just go back to their jobs and college studies and wait for a phone call? Do they stay at the Gloucester house and search the coast each day? What a painful state of limbo they must find themselves.

Speaking of the house I hope that they’ve searched the entire house. By entire I mean every single space where a human body could fit. Every so often we read about some poor guy who has been caught behind bookcases, in walls, behind freezers, etc. a very long time ago we had a case where a house had been sold at least twice and the new owners found grandpa sitting in a rocking chair in the attic. He’d been there 50 years.

 

[zecats]

Speaking of the house I hope that they’ve searched the entire house. By entire I mean every single space where a human body could fit. Every so often we read about some poor guy who has been caught behind bookcases, in walls, behind freezers, etc. a very long time ago we had a case where a house had been sold at least twice and the new owners found grandpa sitting in a rocking chair in the attic. He’d been there 50 years.

Yikes! I can't even imagine. Sounds like the movie Psycho.

I surely hope and would also think they searched for her around the house. Friends arrived that evening for her Super Bowl gathering and if she were stuck somewhere, I'd say they might hear her calling for help. JMO

 

[kay74]

This has to be a drowning. Safe neighborhood, nothing on cameras, no report from neighbors seeing anyone suspicious and I'm sure her phone/computer would have showed if she ordered something for delivery. What else it would be!

 

[Falcon500]

Yikes! I can't even imagine. Sounds like the movie Psycho.

I surely hope and would also think they searched for her around the house. Friends arrived that evening for her Super Bowl gathering and if she were stuck somewhere, I'd say they might hear her calling for help. JMO

Not if her chest was compressed and she couldn’t talk. The police in Port Clinton. Ohio are still being criticized for not finding that fourteen year old stuck in the chimney of the house across the street.

 

[zecats]

Not if her chest was compressed and she couldn’t talk. The police in Port Clinton. Ohio are still being criticized for not finding that fourteen year old stuck in the chimney of the house across the street.

Well, that house was unoccupied. Perhaps he would have been heard if someone were inside the house . Though I see your point that police didn't hear anything.

Presuming Abbie's friends looked around for her when they didn't find her home, I still believe she would have been able to make some kind of noise (fists, feet) and been heard. As I said before MOO, JMO

 

[zecats]

I've not read this before, but seems a neighbor (friend) used his drones to help in the search early on.

<<The Coast Guard used planes with highly sensitive camera equipment and thermal imaging as well as 47-foot boats to search near Brace Cove, an area Flynn is known to visit.

Gloucester resident Iain Kerr used his business’s two drones to help find Flynn. “We can fly the drones quite low. We have really good high definition cameras on the drones so we can just look straight down into the woods and see if we can see anything,” he said.>>

Gloucester Police And Coast Guard Search For Missing Woman Abbie Flynn

 

[Hap]

After looking at the pics of Brace Cove (thank you @afitzy !) ... it made me wonder. Abbie's phone was left at the house, but did she have another camera with her? I know she is an avid photographer and something like the seals might have attracted her attention.

 

[Rocky1]

I've not read this before, but seems a neighbor (friend) used his drones to help in the search early on.

<<The Coast Guard used planes with highly sensitive camera equipment and thermal imaging as well as 47-foot boats to search near Brace Cove, an area Flynn is known to visit.

Gloucester resident Iain Kerr used his business’s two drones to help find Flynn. “We can fly the drones quite low. We have really good high definition cameras on the drones so we can just look straight down into the woods and see if we can see anything,” he said.>>

Gloucester Police And Coast Guard Search For Missing Woman Abbie Flynn

I wonder how much time passed before the Coast Guard went out looking. They are based right there in Gloucester, so they didn't have very far to go. The reason I am wondering is because if she's deceased, and her body temp dropped, thermal imaging may have not worked if her body temp matched ambient temp if they waited a while, and although I have nothing to base this on, my guess is they waited til all other avenues were exhausted, (her bring with a friend, over someone's house visiting , checking cell phone records, etc.) which may have taken many hours.
Drones are great, and this time of the year there are no leaves on the trees, however a drone may not be able to spot someone under a pine tree, which there are a lot of there.
It was nice of the neighbor to help like that.