LACK OF EVIDENCE FRUSTRATES SEARCH EFFORTS FOR MISSING KAYAKER

File Photo - a small kayak similar to this one was found off Nye's Ledge just 4 hours after Dana Dourdeville was reported missing. MLBaron Photo

  By MLBaron - correspondent.
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      WEST ISLAND: Dana Dourdeville's cell phone last pinged at a cell tower off County Rd, Wareham in the early afternoon on New Year's Eve. It was never heard from since. A planned hunting trip from the West Island Town Beach with his 9 foot canoe, Dana supposedly had his over and under double barrel shotgun, a gift from his father to go duck hunting. The weather conditions at the time (2 PM) had a steady westerly wind at 14 and gusts to 17 MPH. The temperature was 26.2 degrees. Between 3:34 and 5:44 PM there were brief shifts in wind direction to the west south west at 20 MPH and gusts to 22 MPH. For more details from the weather log at The West Island Weather Station located near the town beach enter this link: http://classic.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KMAFAIRH13&month=12&day=31&year=2013
      The still images taken that day from the weather stations cameras showed normal parking lot traffic with no visible boating activity at all. The camera scans numerous areas and are not focused on one target - as it's purpose is a weather camera system not for surveillance. Dourdeville's van was not captured when entering the lot. 

           The only tangible facts from this point on are, Dourdeville's van was found by his mother, backed into the parking lot at town beach on the south side which led to a sandy path to the beach around 7 PM. Coast Guard assets were deployed after an initial investigation by a Fairhaven Police officer determined that there was a missing person related to the van parked at the beach.

Nautical chart shows where the kayak was found (red arrow upper right) from where it was allegedly launched 2.3 miles away from the West Island town beach (red arrow lower left) on New Year's Eve.

An empty kayak belonging to the missing boater was later found that same evening after 11 PM by a US Coast Guard helicopter 2.3 miles northeast from the town beach at Nye's Ledge off Mattapoisett (see above map). 

 

      At one point the downdraft of rushing air from the helicopter caused the small boat to roll over. One glove and a single oar was found aboard. Some were eager to look inside the small vessel for any traces of sand or mud to indicate when and where Dana may have entered or exited the boat, but apparently that evidence was washed away. The kayak was a fully opened type design. The van was later towed to the Fairhaven Police Station. This is where the case gets cold.
      After aggressive search and rescue operations spanning several days from local law enforcement and other agencies including a massive volunteer search Sunday, January 5, 2014.

Hundreds of volunteers combed the beach around West Island for any sign of Dana Dourdeville

A mobile command center from the Bristol County Sheriff's Office and K-9 Units converged at the town beach to coordinate over 250 volunteers searchers, Sunday, January 5, 2014. Nothing was found.

     Some items of interest were found which included a black knitted skull cap found at Hoppy's Landing and a bright red sweater-type shirt found at Wigwam Beach Sunday about a 100 yards away from the Seaview Avenue boat ramp down Sconticut Neck Rd. The items were later determined not to be connected to the missing kayaker.
Law enforcement sources have contemplated that this boating accident (which has yet to be proven that there actually was one) is not consistent of what usually is found shortly after, in particular a debris field of some kind. One can assume that with a planned hunting trip, one would bring a shotgun, ammo, a hunting bag, perhaps some snacks, etc. 

The SEMLEC Dive Team launches from Hoppy's Landing this morning (Jan 8, 2014) in the continued search for a missing kayaker last seen on New Year's Eve from the West Island Town Beach. Wednesday, Jan 8 at 11 AM. MLBaron Video. http://www.westislandweather.com/

      Some speculate that maybe Dana made it to shore at some point to go hunting or fetch a duck he just shot, saw his kayak become adrift and tried to go out an retrieve it and succumbed to the elements. But here's where that theory is blown out of the water. Where is his gear along the shore?
Nothing has been found floating about either, not even a soda can or candy wrapper. I know first hand that flotsam along West Island 's east side can linger for weeks going in and out with the tide.
According to close sources, Dana's use of social media was infrequent if non-existent which would include FaceBook, and Twitter etc. Usually one's agendas for the day would be part of the idle chat in these forums which could have been valuable. Analysis of his computer hard drives, email traffic and the usual detective work in a case like this have not yielded anything (that have been made public) to offer any kind of clues in solving the mystery. His dorm room was the same as the day he left it. His focus on the stringent demands of his college education at Brown University as an engineer takes up most of his time. He belongs to "Engineers Without Borders" a group utilizing engineering to augment international goodwill. 

Dana Dourdeville

         An accomplished cross country runner in High School, Dana Dourdeville is in good physical condition and has been in his kayak solo before. He also did not have any serious relationships that they knew about. Sources indicated.
      In a nut shell, as of this time, there is no evidence to indicate that anyone was ever in the kayak, that the kayak was launched from the town beach, who parked the van in the lot, or if the small boat was ever ashore. No shots were heard by the few beach goers - including me - from hunters in the area all afternoon. 

           The intent of this post is not to bring false hopes, but to provide some perspective of what investigators are up against. This case remains inconclusive and continues to baffle all those involved to find 21 year old Dana Dourdeville of Marion. In part of his speech as valedictorian of The Class of 2011 at Old Rochester Regional High School, Dana addressed his fellow graduating students. In one poignant part of his speech he referred to facing your fears and making the right choice. It is this kind of character that instills so much hope and faith to his family and friends that Dana is out there somewhere and soon will return home safe. Search efforts on a smaller scale continue today January 10, 2014.

A desolate yet peaceful beach at East Cove at the West Island State Reservation as of January 9, 2014 continued to yield no clues of flotsam or evidence of Dana's Dourdeville's disappearance on New Years Eve.  This location a favorite spot for duck hunters was probably the last location Dourdeville may have went hunting with his shotgun and kayak on the afternoon of December 31st, 2013. MLBaron Photo.