Patrick Lewis Sukeforth was 33 years old when he was last seen on May 27, 2002, in the New Castle, Delaware, area. He is listed in NamUs as missing from New Castle, with Delaware State Police Headquarters identified as the investigating agency. NamUs lists his case as MP6932 and describes him as a White/Caucasian male with brown hair, blue eyes, standing approximately 6 feet 4 inches to 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing about 225 to 230 pounds.
According to publicly available case summaries, Patrick was a passenger aboard a 1987, 23-foot Chris Craft recreational power boat named “The Hardwood.” The boat had traveled from the Chesapeake Inn in Chesapeake City, Maryland, through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and was heading eastbound through Delaware waters, returning toward its port of origin across the Delaware River in Pennsville, New Jersey. During the trip, the boat reportedly struck underwater debris, which damaged and disabled the outdrive.
After the boat became disabled, an anchor was placed and friends in New Jersey were contacted by cell phone to come tow the vessel to shore. The anchor reportedly did not hold because of wakes from passing ships, and the boat drifted eastward toward the center of the Delaware River, into or near the shipping lanes used by large vessels. The situation became increasingly dangerous when a large tanker was seen bearing down on the disabled boat and did not appear to respond to attempts by those aboard to signal it with a flashing light.
Fearing that the tanker would strike the boat, Patrick reportedly grabbed a boat bumper and jumped into the Delaware River. The boat owner also entered the water to avoid the perceived path of the oncoming vessel. About 45 minutes later, the boat owner was rescued by friends who had come from New Jersey, but Patrick was not recovered. The boat owner believed Patrick may have been swimming generally toward Fort Mott on the New Jersey side of the river. The case information notes that the water was still cold in May, that the Delaware River currents were strong, and that the shipping channel averaged about 45 feet deep.
At the time he disappeared, Patrick may have been wearing a baseball cap backward, a gray hooded sweatshirt, a sleeveless white tank top, jean shorts, and either Dockers, sandals, or sneakers. He was also reportedly wearing a silver chain around his neck and a silver Kenneth Cole watch on his left wrist. His identifying tattoos are especially important: a large tiger head tattoo on his left shoulder and part of his chest, a deer head tattoo on his right arm, and a heart with a screw in it on his chest.
Patrick’s disappearance appears to have begun as a boating emergency that unfolded quickly in cold, difficult, and hazardous river conditions. The circumstances described in public records suggest a frightening final known moment in which he tried to survive by entering the water with a flotation item while the disabled boat drifted in an active shipping area. His case remains listed publicly by NamUs, and Delaware State Police Headquarters is associated with the investigation.Last Seen: May 27, 2002
