Creepy last picture shows man launching canoe before vanishing off the face of the earth

Eerie surveillance video shows the final moments a 70-year-old vanished without a trace after heading out into the water.

The fisherman, Tito C. Montances, disappeared Tuesday afternoon, prompting an urgent search by local police and the US Coast Guard.

Montances was last seen around 1:30 p.m. near Pinole Shores, according to the Hercules Police Department. Surveillance footage showed the elderly man preparing to launch a green, single-rider canoe before he disappeared.

Montances is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a navy-blue jacket, light-colored shorts and black shoes.

Police said Montances’ vehicle was later found parked at 1 Tennent Avenue in Pinole, near the wastewater treatment plant, after family members reported Tuesday night that he had not returned home.

Search efforts began Tuesday evening after his boat trip disappearance, with Hercules police and the East Bay Regional Park District deploying drones to scan the shoreline. Authorities said the initial search did not locate Montances, and the US Coast Guard has since assumed primary search operations by air and water in San Pablo Bay.

Investigators are urging residents near the shoreline and surrounding areas to remain alert for Montances or his green canoe and to report any possible sightings immediately.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hercules Police Department dispatch at (510) 724-1111 or the US Coast Guard at (415) 399-7300.

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