The former boyfriend of Grease star Olivia Newton-John has been found alive in the coastal town of Sayulita, Jalisco, according to a report by Women’s Day magazine. The actress and singer’s partner Patrick McDermott disappeared during a fishing trip in California in 2005.
It was widely believed that the 48-year-old, who worked as a cameraman, had drowned, leaving unpaid debts totaling more than US$30,000. No one witnessed McDermott falling overboard, but reports of his disappearance prompted an extensive search.
Now Women’s Day reports that McDermott has reappeared in Mexico and has settled down with a woman in Sayulita.
Investigator John Nazarian told the publication: “I spoke to people there. The girl he was travelling with was described as having a German accent.”
Investigators believe Korean-born McDermott secured a second passport in his birth name Patrick Kim. He also reportedly withdrew his life savings shortly before he disappeared.
While these are new revelations, there are in fact only the latest in a series of reports suggesting that McDermott has started a new life in Mexico.
Private investigator Philip Klein has written a book in which he says that he ended his own investigation in 2009 when he received a letter faxed on Mr McDermott’s behalf. “Pat simply wishes to be left alone,” the fax read. “Let him live his life in peace and harmony. He is safe and has started anew again in a new place both physically and mentally. Stop this search immediately.”