Random People Who Mysteriously Vanished While On Dream Vacations (13 items)

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  (#2) Madeline McCann Was Taken From A Portuguese Resort

  More than a decade later, the horrific story of a young English girl snatched from her resort hotel room continues to resonate around the world. In May of 2007, three-year-old Madeline McCann was vacationing with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, along with her younger siblings at a luxurious Portuguese resort. The location was quiet and laid back, a place where parents let their children sleep in the suite while they went for a peaceful dinner. The family hired a babysitter to assist during their stay, but that individual was not present the night of Madeline's disappearance. Around 10 PM, Kate McCann slipped back into the suite to check on her children, and immediately noticed her daughter was missing.

  The investigation began that night and remains open today, authorities in Portugal and Scotland Yard both searching for answers. While Madeline's DNA turned up during a sweep of the room, the scene is considered contaminated after additional guests stayed in the suite before authorities properly swept it. Theories as to the child's disappearance range from parental involvement to child trafficking, but no one knows where Madeline went, or why her siblings were left behind. Thousands of reported sightings have occurred in over 100 countries, adding further confusion and mystery to Maddie's saga.

  In June 2020, UK's Metropolitan Police force announced they officially had a prime suspect in the case. Though the suspect remains nameless, he is reportedly a 43-year-old German man who is incarcerated in Germany over an unrelated matter. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said, "The Met received information about a German man who was known to have been in and around [the resort]. We have been working with colleagues in Germany and Portugal and this man is a suspect in Madeleine's disappearance." 

  Cranwell further revealed details about two cars linked to the suspect at the time saying, "The first vehicle is a distinctive VW T3 Westfalia campervan. It is an early 1980s model, with two tone markings, a white upper body and a yellow skirting. It had a Portuguese registration plate... The second vehicle is a 1993 British Jaguar, model XJR 6, with a German number plate and registered in Germany." 

  There is a $25,000 (£20,000) police reward for information about the case. 
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  (#5) Man Sends A Final Text To His Wife Before Disappearing From Cruise

  Poor John Halford; a well-liked guy of 63, he owned and operated a popular book and gift shop in England. In March of 2011, just before he and his wife were to celebrate 25 years of marriage, he went alone on a cruise to Egypt, eager to fulfill his life-long dream before arthritis made it impossible. And so off he went. He had an amazing time, all the while texting back home about his adventures, and taking photos and videos of the sights. On the night before the ship docked, Halford sent his wife a text regarding his flight information.

  Planning to meet him at the airport, Halford's was practically on her way the next day when she got the call her husband vanished from the cruise ship. She suspects Halford fell from the ship, a theory supported by the fact he was last seen drinking cocktails near midnight. If intoxicated and too close to the edge, Halford might have just encountered a bit of bad luck.
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  (#4) Missing Vacationing Teen Likely Eaten By Crocodiles

  Teenager Brittanee Drexel looked like a young child. Slight of build with big blue eyes and a friendly smile, the 17-year-old slipped from her Rochester, NY home down to Myrtle Beach, SC for spring break in 2009. Her parents forbade her to go, but she couldn't resist leaving with her friends for points south. Because of her young age and relative naivety, she may well have been an easy target to criminals who crossed her path in Myrtle Beach. During that spring break, Drexel disappeared.

  For a time she remained a missing person with little-to-no clues as to what happened to her. But in 20016, an FBI agent taking statements from prison inmate was told a young woman was kidnapped, gang-raped, shot, and left for dead in a swampy area known to be the habitat of alligators. The inmate, Taquan Brown, claimed he witnessed Drexel being pistol whipped, sexually assaulted, killed, and then likely fed to alligators. Members of the family of Timothy Da’Shaun Taylor, a man Brown accused of raping and murdering Drexel, firmly deny Taylor's involvement. Taylor himself was questioned and arrested by police, but later released on $10,000 bond. While it led to another search for Drexel in 2017, the investigation came up cold.
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  (#6) Little Boy Disappears From Family's Idaho Vacation Campsite

  Did a wolf, bear, or some other animal attack and drag away a two-year-old boy from a popular Idaho camp site in July 2015? DeOrr Kunz and his parents, Jessica Mitchell and Vernal Kunz, were enjoying a wilderness camping vacation. One day. the parents left on a walk, saying they left DeOrr with his great-grandfather, who conversely thought the parents were with him; when they returned, the boy was missing. Once the parents reported the disappearance, local and state authorities descended upon the area, scouring it for any evidence of little DeOrr.

  Neither the great-grandfather nor the grandparents, while considered suspects, have been charged Some experts are suspicious of the parents' behavior, stating that the mother in particular exhibited erratic behavior and apparently disliked being a mother. The parents' attorney proposed that a bald eagle carried off the child, though they remain under investigation.
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  (#13) Cruise Line Takes More Than A Week To Report Woman's Disappearance

  Merrian Carver boarded a cruise trip to Alaska in August 2004; by her second day she was already gone from her room, her belongings left behind untouched. The attendant charged to her cabin, Domingo Monteiro, reported her missing for the remaining five days to his supervisor, who told him not to worry and that it would be handled. Carver's father, Kendall, received a phone call from Merrian's daughter, saying she'd not heard from her in many days. Despite Kendall's repeated calls  Alaskan Royal Caribbean, he received no answer, and decided to file a police report. Royal Caribbean probably did not expect Kendall Carver, a former insurance CEO, to launch the expensive investigation that he did.

  He hired one of the top private investigation services in the world, which turned out to be fruitless when the cruise line refused to release a list of witnesses or employees from the time Carver vanished. After forcing the company to allow a Monteiro to give a deposition, the Carver family learned Royal Caribbean knew of Carver's disappearance and donated her belongings to charity. While the company eventually provided the family an apology, the Carvers coldly rebuked it, and remarked how this could have been avoided had the ship cooperated with them in the first place.
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  (#3) Catholic Nun Goes Missing On Dream Vacation To Austrian Alps

  Sister Eileen Christie, 72, was a Roman Catholic nun and teacher of theology who left New Yorkk in 2016 for a European vacation. Along her way, she kept in contact with a nephew from home via email. The last time her nephew heard from Sister Christie, she informed him that she had checked into a hostel in Hallstat, Austria, a village near the Alps. After being reported missing, authorities searched the hostel; most of her belongings, including her passport, her cell phone, and wallet, were left behind. Her phone's camera roll revealed images and videos that suggest she was having a wonderful time. 

  A number of strange circumstances surround the nun's disappearance that fail to add up. One of the only missing items from her room was a swimsuit, suggesting she may have drowned while taking a swim. Yet Sister Christie frequently swam during her travels, which she also frequently took to this area of Austria over many years. Her familiarity and experience with the village makes it seem more likely she was taken, yet no major suspects have arisen.

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