Father and son missing after allegedly setting sail from Goleta to Hawaii

September 13, 2018

A 68-year-old father and his 14-year-old son who were thought to be sailing from Goleta to Hawaii have gone missing. [Cal Coast Times]

In June, Gerald “Storm” Talifero and his son Adagio “Dag” Talifero presumably set sail from the Goleta area to Hawaii, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office, along with the United States Coast Guard and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are now searching for the father and son.

Sheriff’s officials say it is believed the Taliferos were going to possibly make a stop in San Diego before heading to Hawaii. The trip to Hawaii was planned to last only a few weeks, and it was supposed to be a one-way journey.

The father and son had airline tickets to return to California in early September. But, neither of the Taliferos showed up for their return flight. It does not appear, either, that they rescheduled their flights.

Officials say the father and son were effectively travelers, with no single place they called home. Most recently, they were known to be staying on a friend’s farm in Camptonville, California.

They then made several back and forth trips to Santa Barbara, Ojai and Arizona.

It is believed the father and son were sailing either in a friend’s boat or in a boat Gerald Talifero was contracted to sell on behalf of the owner. Those close to the father speculate the boat originated from either the Bay Area or Washington state.

Thus far, investigators have no information about the name of the vessel or the boat’s registration.

Anyone with information about the boat or the father and son’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Bureau at (805) 681-4150 or Detective Travis Henderson at tjh3806@sbsheriff.org.