Father and son missing after setting sail from Goleta
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a father and son that have gone missing after setting sail from Goleta Beach to Hawaii in June 2018.
The Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Authorities say the trip was only supposed to last a few weeks, with a stop in San Diego before heading to Hawaii, and meant to be a one-way trip with the pair hopping on a flight back to California at the beginning of September. 68-year-old Gerald “Storm” Talifero and his son, 14-year-old Adagio “Dag” Talifero, never showed up for their flights despite having airline tickets, nor does it appear the flights were ever rescheduled, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“The pair were effectively travelers, with no one place they called home. Most recently, they were known to be staying in Camptonville, CA on a friend’s farm, before making several back and forth trips to Santa Barbara (CA), Ojai (CA) and Arizona,” said Sheriff’s Office news release.
Investigators believe the boat the duo was sailing is either a friend’s boat or a boat Gerald Talifero was contracted to sail on behalf of the owner.
“Speculation among those who were close to Gerald is the boat originated from either Washington State, or California’s Bay Area,” stated the Sheriff’s Office news release. No information is available at this time regarding the boat’s owner, the name of the boat, or the CF registration numbers.
Anyone with information regarding Gerald and Adagio’s whereabouts, or any information related to the boat or its owner is asked to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Bureau at 805-681-4150, or Detective Travis Henderson at tjh3806@sbsheriff.org.
