
The person at the center of this case
Bobby Linwood Barbers
Justice for Bobby Linwood Barbers — the trail went cold in 2010, but the truth hasn't.
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Why was the crewmember not wearing a life jacket despite being on watch?
What was the account of the crew member who went to relieve Barbers and discovered him missing?
Were there any signs of struggle or unusual circumstances on the vessel at the time?
Bobby Linwood Barbers, a 54-year-old crewmember aboard the fishing vessel Gallant Fox, went overboard in the early morning hours of July 2, 2010, near Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. The Coast Guard launched an immediate and extensive search involving multiple vessels, aircraft, and rescue teams, but Barbers was never located. The case remains unsolved, with questions about the circumstances of his fall and whether additional search efforts might yield new information.
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Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
What was the exact sequence of events leading up to the discovery that Barbers was missing?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
NamUs case MP7646. Missing person: Bobby Linwood Barbers.
Last known contact: 2010-07-02 in Oregon Inlet, Hyde, NC. Circumstances: The Coast Guard received a call at 5 a.m.
from a crewmember aboard the fishing boat Gallant Fox reporting a crewman had fallen overboard. The Coast Guard says the missing crewman was on watch when another member of the crew went to relieve him and couldn't locate the man.
The crewmember was wearing a black t-shirt, denim shorts and no life-jacket. A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Cochito, homeported in Norfolk, Va., a C-130 aircrew and a HH-60T Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., are searching for the man.
Demographics: 54 years, Male, Black / African American. Physical description: 5 ft 9 in, 205 lbs, hair: Black, eyes: Brown.
Clothing and accessories: Clothing: black short sleeved T-shirt, demin shorts. Investigating agency: US Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads | 2010-07-01.
Coast Guard received call at 5 a.m. from crewmember aboard fishing boat Gallant Fox reporting a crewman had fallen overboard while on watch
Multiple Coast Guard units responded including Station Oregon Inlet crew, Coast Guard Cutter Cochito from Norfolk, C-130 aircrew, and HH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Elizabeth City
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.