Authorities are asking for help in finding a Florida man who apparently disappeared while paddle boarding on the ocean.
The man, a commercial real estate agent, reportedly owes more than $500,000 in child support.
Constantine Theoharis has been missing since March 20 and was last seen on his blue paddleboard heading north near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Three days later, Theorharis’ cousin, Chris Damian, filed a missing person’s report with the police. Damian said he hadn’t heard from Theoharis since they last spoke on the phone on March 18.
Damian told police that his cousin had “been depressed lately and they usually talk by phone daily.” Damian said Theoharis had been depressed over his recent divorce and child support payments, but he was not suicidal.
Theoharis has been divorced since 2008 and owes more than $500,000 in child support payments. He has not made a child support payment since August 2014.
According to the incident report, Damian said the child support issues may have “forced him to leave the U.S. because of pending upcoming court action for nonpayment.” Police say Damian had no proof that Theoharis fled the U.S.
Rick Theoharis, Theoharis’ brother, said he left his keys, wallet, phone and passport at home. Constantine Theoharis was an experienced paddleboarder and very adept in the water.
Reports say Constantine was aboard a solid paddleboard, not an inflatable SUP, and that he brought a weight belt, swim fins and dive mask with him.
Rick Theoharis says he hopes that his brother “didn’t have a heart attack or something like that and hit the water and drown.” Rick corroborated Damian’s story that Constantine had been stressed out due to the child support issue. Rick also stated that Constantine was caring for their parents, who have dementia.
The family has stated that Constantine was not suicidal. Anything can happen out on the ocean, especially when paddle boarding.
In early April, a paddleboarder in Hawaii was bumped off his board by a shark and then attacked. The 25-year-old, who has not been identified, had injuries to his right-side extremities. He was airlifted to the North Hawaii Community Hospital with reportedly critical injuries.
A total of 65 people were attacked by sharks in Hawaii between 2007 and 2016. In Florida, 30 people were attacked by sharks in 2017 alone.
Attacks of Florida waters made up about a third of the attacks worldwide. In 2017, there were a total of 88 attacks recorded, up from 83 attacks the previous year. This data does not include provoked attacks or intentional encounters with sharks. There were 30 total provoked attacks in 2017.
Shark populations are declining, but the human population continues to grow and more people are swimming in the ocean, the shark’s natural habitat.
Most people who are attacked by sharks survive the encounter.
There is no evidence to suggest that Theoharis had been attacked by a shark. It has been nearly a month since his disappearance, and authorities have yet to find Theoharis’ board or equipment.