FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Local 10 headed out to sea Friday to look for information about what happened to a missing multimillionaire.
A bombshell theory that Guma Aguiar may have staged his disappearance was unveiled during a court battle over his $100 million fortune.
The details that raised questions about Aguiar's disappearance came from attorney Bill Scherer, who is representing Aguiar's wife in the battle over his fortune. He told the court that GPS data from Aguiar's boat shows Aguiar, a father of four, motored three miles out to sea last Tuesday evening, then turned north.
That is when something strange happened. Scherer said the boat came to a complete stop and did not move for five minutes before it began to drift to shore.
Capt. John See, with Sea Tow, took Local 10's Roger Lohse offshore Friday, so he could see for himself how it could be possible that Aguiar's boat didn't move at all out there in the strong current for five minutes. They went out about two miles, took the boat out of gear, started a stop watch and let the GPS do the rest.
On the night Aguiar disappeared, there were high winds, the seas were 5 to 6 feet and there was a small craft advisory. On Friday, it was much calmer, and even in those conditions, Lohse and See were unable to sit still in the water for any length of time. Over the course of five minutes, they traveled one quarter of a nautical mile with the engine idle, being pushed by the wind and waves.
"Would it be possible for us not to move at all right now?" Lohse asked.
"I mean, you can maneuver to try to stay in one position, but it's not very easy," See said.
"But, your engines have to be in gear for that?" Lohse asked.
"Yes, your engines have to be in gear, right," See said. "The only other way you could do that, completely stopped, is if you throw an anchor."
Scherer said he believes it's possible Aguiar faked his own death to escape the people and lawsuits that were threatening to take his fortune.