Family and friends of a missing Rumson man are searching an area around Sandy Hook Bay on Thursday.

Richard O'Day has been missing since Sunday when his boat was found anchored in the bay.

O'Day, 54, an investment banker in New York City, left his private dock on Molly's Pond onboard his 20-foot recreational boat Sunday morning around 11 a.m. He was headed for the bay for the first time this year, according to sister Colleen Rozzi.

"They're saying his boat was anchored in the water about a thousand feet from land in the area of Horseshoe Cove. The next cove over is Spermicetti Cove. It probably took him about a half-hour to get to that area from his boat," Rozzi told New Jersey 101.5.

"Nothing was reported until the following day at 2:30 p.m. when a commercial-type boat passed by. My brother's boat is pretty much open and you can tell there was nobody on it."

O'Day's cell phone and wallet were found on board, according to Rozzi. Four fishing poles on board didn't look like they had been used.

Richard O'Day, his boat
Richard O'Day, his boat (Colleen Rozzi)
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Did anyone see something?

Rozzi has brought attention to her brother's disappearance in hopes someone may have noticed something on Sunday.

"The family is just desperate to find information on what could have possibly happened. If anyone observed something out of the ordinary, if any cameras in the area may have picked up his boat passing by," Rozzi said. "We are looking for people to be observant."

Rozzi said her brother was healthy and worked out regularly. If O'Day fell overboard she thinks he would be able to pull himself back up into the boat. Nothing appeared to be bothering O'Day before Sunday.

"I believe I was the last one to speak with him on Thursday night and he sounded in very good spirits. He just didn't seem to have any troubles in the world. This is a complete mystery which caught us out of the blue," Rozzi said.

Family continues to search

The U.S. Coast Guard New York spokesman Cory Mendenhall said its "extensive air and surface search" for O'Day was suspended pending further developments.

State Police are continuing a search for O'Day using sonar and divers, according to the Coast Guard.

Rozzi said the family search is focused on the area around Spermicetti Cove. Two dive teams have volunteered their services and her son will fly his drone over the area

The family met with several high-level Coast Guard officers on Tuesday.

"They really did extend a great effort searching for my brother all night and the following day. Now we're just hoping to see if anyone can notice anything from the shorelines or in the water. We're asking people with boats out on the water in that area to be observant and vigilant right now to see if they can see anything right now," Rozzi said.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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