Family Still Searching for Teen Sailor Missing Since 2005

A Thanksgiving sailing trip that a Texas teen saw as an adventure has instead stretched into a 20-year mystery. Christian Hall was 15 in November 2005 when he worked as a deckhand on the 74-foot sailboat Gypsy II out of Corpus Christi. Despite his family's objections, he and the boat's owner, 39-year-old David "Dusty" Andrews, set sail on a voyage to Florida on Nov. 24. Neither has been seen since, People reports.

Authorities say the Gypsy II later issued a mayday call while in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast, reporting that the vessel was taking on water. Rescue was reportedly offered but declined. No further communication followed. On Jan. 4, 2006, Christian's family reported him missing, and the Texas Department of Public Safety released a bulletin with photos of Christian, Andrews, and the yacht.

Two decades on, Christian's relatives are still searching, working with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which has released an age-progressed image showing what he might look like now at 35. His aunt, Carla Boehm, says she believes he could be alive and wants him to know he is still wanted and loved. She believes he may have seen Andrews as a father figure, something she says he was missing, KIII-TV reports. "I know that [Andrews] told his family that Christian was his son," she told NCMEC. Anyone with information on Christian or his disappearance is asked to contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Corpus Christi Police Department at 1-361-886-2600.