A well-known surfer from California has gone missing, and his family and friends are asking the public’s help in finding him.
Adam Francis D’Esposito, 39, vanished in Baja Malibu, Mexico over two weeks ago. He was last seen on September 8 driving his father’s silver Volvo station wagon with California plates 4VZK300.
His sister, Briana, said the last known person to see D’Espositio was the owner of a surf shop. The owner described D’Espositio as being in ‘bad condition’ and said he was soaking wet in clothes, barefoot and looked scared.
‘He just kind of said he was in a very bad state of mind. Very paranoid,’ she told CBS8.
California surfer Adam Francis D’Esposito has been missing in Mexico for over two weeks, his family and friends said
The 39-year-old disappeared on September 8 and was last seen driving a silver Volvo station wagon
Video captured by a passerby shows D’Esposito running southbound on a highway shirtless and without any shoes on. Briana confirmed the man in the video is her brother.
‘It’s difficult to have that much hope. It is a long time for someone to go missing,’ she said.
D’Esposto, the father to a six-year-old girl, is well-known in the surfing community and often frequented Baja Malibu. His family believes he drove down there before vanishing.
Briana told the outlet that her brother, known as Biff to the surfing community, was diagnosed as bipolar in February and thinks his mental illness could have played a role in his disappearance, but said he has never been out of touch from his family for this long.
‘We are here for him. We want him to come home. We hope that he is OK and safe,’ she said. ‘He is really loved.’
D’Esposito’s other sister Mary Theresa posted on Facebook that he borrowed their father’s car in Rosarito, Mexico and said he would be right back, but that was the last time they heard from him.
D’Esposito’s sister said the last known person to see him was the owner of surf shop who said the 39-year-old father looked in bad condition and was scared. D’Esposito is pictured above with his daughter
World Surf League Champion Kelly Slater (pictured) has joined in the search for D’Esposito asking his followers to contact authorities if they have any information
‘He also hasn’t spoken to his daughter or her mom in New Jersey and he has been speaking to them daily for the past 9 months,’ she wrote. ‘If you’ve heard from him or have any leads, we would greatly appreciate information.’
World Surf League Champion Kelly Slater has joined in the search for D’Esposito asking his followers to contact authorities if they have any information on the missing surfer’s whereabouts.
‘A familiar face in our surf world has been missing for nearly two weeks, last seen in Baja Malibu, Mexico on 8/9 driving a silver Volvo station wagon. It really hits home when someone you know goes missing. Please, anyone with any info whatsoever call the numbers on this post and/or leave a message below. Anything you might possibly have seen or heard could be helpful,’ Slater wrote. ‘You may have seen ‘Biff’ surfing in Tahiti or San Diego over the years. He’s been a familiar face in many lineups ‘
Anyone with information is asked to call 760-805-5520 or 409-565-1050.