The Lost Boys of Pickering

Mass disappearances are the strangest. How is it that large groups of people can vanish without a trace? It boggles the mind. Late one night in 1995, six boys did just that. They disappeared and were never heard from or seen again. Not a trace of them, no clothes, even the boat they were on had vanished. The names of the boys that went missing are, Jay Boyle (17), Michael Cummins (17), Daniel Higgins (16), Chad Smith (18), Robbie Rumboldt (17), and Jaimie Lefebvre (17).

It was about an hour after midnight on St Patrick's day during spring break. The boys had been at a party in Pickering, Ontario drinking alcohol, having a good time. They were looking for an adventure that night, and according to witnesses they stole a boat and took it out for a joy ride. They never returned. The only sightings that night were at 1:48am of half of the boys, Michael, Jamie, and Robbie, caught on video surveillance. There were also some local residence that reported hearing a motor boat around 3am.

Their girlfriends were the first to report them missing the next day. Two boats were also reported stolen. Law enforcement believe that the boys must have fell into the water and died of hyperthermia.

That Saturday law enforcement did a massive search, using a C-130 from the Canadian Forces Base. But to this day, nor the boats, or any clothing from the boys has been found. I find that very odd. It's just hard to imagine 6 boys vanishing without a trace.

What happened? It makes sense that maybe they might have crashed into each other, but there's no wreckage or evidence to support that theory. Was it foul play? Maybe one of the owners of the boats discovered his property stolen and something happened? Or was it a plot the boys had planned out to disappear together?

This case has never gained much traction in the media and that's sad, as their families are still looking for them.

If you have any leads or any information on this case please call the Missing Persons and Unidentified Bodies Unit (MPUB) 1-877-934-6363 Reference Case Number: MPUB-20050042.