Olivia Newton John’s “long dead” boyfriend exposed to be alive

Remember that mystery surrounding the death of Olivia Newton John’s ex Patrick “Pat Kim” McDermott?

When the story of his death broke, it was believed McDermott, fell overboard a fishing boat called Freedom and drowned. He was in an on-off nine-year relationship with Newton John at the time and understandably, she was devastated.

Apparently, not one of the 22 passengers on board the recreational fishing boat remember seeing McDermott fall. The mystery deepens as someone even settled his food and drink tab on board the vessel 30 minutes before it docked back into California’s San Pedro harbor, that’s after he had allegedly fallen overboard.

Shortly after that, authorities came to the conclusion that he had faked his own death because of money problems.

But now, after a decade, more details have surfaced, possibly solving one of America’s most intriguing mysteries. It has been revealed by investigators that McDermott is living the life of a fugitive on the high seas off the coasts of Mexico and South America, RadarOnline.com has discovered.

A photo posted by Olgaa Soliss (@spursgrl9) on

According to people in the Mexican boating community, McDermott has spent the last several years jumping from ship to ship in a bid to avoid being identified. They’ve also revealed to Radar thatMcDermott is actually working on a luxury boat for a wealthy Mexican family who knows of McDermott’s past and has offered him protection.

McDermott was last reported to have been working on the catamaran Humu-Humu. However, the luxury vessel is now believed to be moored in Mazlatan, six hours north of Nuevo Vallarta.

When Radar showed a picture of McDermott posing on the red carpet with Newton John to Nuevo Vallarta port officer Emilio Oyarzabal Garcia, and his eyes immediately lit up with recognition and he said, “Yes I saw him. He walked past my office window. He has shorter, darker hair now though,” he revealed.

When pressed on what made him so sure it was McDermott, who has Korean heritage, Oyarzabal Garcia responded, “Because no one looks like him around here. Sometimes tourists from Asia arrive on boats in groups, but he was alone.”

According to Nuevo Vallarta Harbour Master Hector Medina, it’s easy for people who don’t want to be found to work on the boats that tail the storm seasons. In summer, it’s common for Mexico-moored boats to make for Brazil via the Panama Canal, returning for the cooler months that commence from October. Medina searched the entire Mexico ports database for McDermott or his other known name, Pat Kim, with no results. “Maybe he has a different name now,” Mr. Medina conceded, adding that it would be very easy to hide by skipping from port to port.

McDermott is currently believed to be sailing through the Panama Canal headed for Belize, where he will dock before moving down the South American coastline in August to avoid the deadly hurricane season.

Insiders say he will likely not return to the Mexican Riviera, where he has been seen several times in the past, until well after October when the dry season begins.

“He’s been able to hide for so long because there are many people willing to protect him,” a source in Mexico told Radar. “Lots of Americans come down here to hide, and it doesn’t take long for you to meet the right people who are willing to help you. For a price, of course, but the US dollar goes a lot further down here.”

In his book Lost at Sea: The Hunt for Patrick McDermott, private investigator Philip Klein, who spent years tracking McDermott’s movements, claims a pattern emerged of the father-of-one sails down the Mexican coastline from Cabo San Lucas down past Puerto Vallarta in the later months of the year, before heading for South America via the Panama Canal to avoid the perilous hurricane season. He says that witnesses also reported sightings of McDermott in Belize.

Renowned forensic sketcher Gil Zamora created a sketch after hearing reports from several people in Mexico who have seen McDermott alive, and the result was an incredible likeness to what the 59-year-old, who vanished from California’s San Pedro harbor in 2005, looks like now. “He’s more weathered — more than 10 years of basically living on the ocean will do that to a guy, even one as chiseled and concerned with his looks as Patrick was back in his Hollywood days.”

Did you follow the tragic story of Patrick McDermott’s death?

Stories that matter
Emails delivered daily
Sign up