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A Pleasanton native has been reported missing after his plane never made it to its destination on Sunday, a relative told the Weekly.
Christopher Moore, 59, is the pilot at the center of local news in Florida after his plane took off from Sebastian Municipal Airport on Sunday (Aug. 4) but failed to arrive at its destination in the Bahamas, Moore’s cousin Mark McMillan told the Weekly.
“Family and friends down there are still kind of searching, but at this point it would be kind of a miracle if he was still alive,” McMillan said.
Moore grew up in Pleasanton for most of his youth and graduated from Amador Valley High School before attending San Jose State University, according to McMillan.
At SJSU, Moore got involved with Quadrant Solutions Inc., a magnet company that he eventually took over and turned into one of the magnet suppliers for Apple’s iPhone.
McMillan said that Moore had at one point sold the company and was living in Louisville, Ky. — where he had also moved the company’s operations — but that he also had a place in the Bahamas.
According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, an alert notice went out for a single-engine BRM Aero Bristell that was reported overdue after departing from the Florida airport on Sunday. An alert notice lets local authorities know an aircraft is missing so they can begin a search.
“The plane’s last known position was approximately 50 miles northwest of Freeport, Bahamas,” according to the FAA statement.
The family had a ping on Moore’s phone that came from near Treasure Cay, a parcel of land connected to Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, which is northwest of Freeport, according to McMillan.
“They think he got pretty close to the Bahamas and so that’s part of why they’re searching,” he said.
The FAA had no further information on the search and deferred to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Bahamian government for more information. At the time of publication, neither agency had responded to requests for comment.
McMillan said it appears authorities have “given up on the search” but as he understands, Moore’s family is still searching for him or anything that could lead to some closure such as remnants from his plane.
McMillan said it was particularly hard for him to hear his cousin was missing because he saw him as more of a brother. When the two were kids, Moore moved in with McMillan’s family for several years following the death of his mother.
“He was a good person, very self-made,” McMillan said.
He said Moore’s partner and son are among those still searching for him and that because the family had been very active in the Bahamian community, there are people in the Bahamas with boats and a desire to help with the search.
“It’s unlikely he’s still alive,” McMillan said. “You can hope for a miracle but it’s unlikely that he’s still alive,” he added, noting that although the thought of losing his cousin is sad, he takes some solace in knowing he was doing something he loved.
