Loren James Ruden

Ruden, circa 2013

  • Missing Since 09/09/2013
  • Missing From Oceanside, California
  • Classification Lost/Injured Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 09/30/1960 (64)
  • Age 52 years old
  • Height and Weight 6'2, 175 pounds
  • Associated Vehicle(s) 21-foot long striper fishing boat called The Lucky Dog (accounted for)
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, blue eyes.

Details of Disappearance

Ruden was last seen in Oceanside, California on September 9, 2013. He went out for a ride on his 21-foot long striper fishing boat, The Lucky Dog, with his four-year-old mixed-breed dog, Sadie, at 11:30 p.m. He never returned to shore and he has never been heard from again.

At 5:00 p.m., a man rescued Sadie, who was found swimming near an Oceanside jetty. The dog had an address and phone number on its collar. The man tried calling the number, and when it went straight to voicemail, he drove to the address and found Ruden's wife, who then realized something must have happened to her husband.

At 6:30 a.m. the next day, The Lucky Dog was found circling, with its engine running, in a circle ten miles off the coast of La Jolla, California. There were no indications of distress or foul play, and a life jacket was missing from the boat, leading investigators to believe Ruden was wearing it when he disappeared. Sadie normally also wore a life jacket on boating trips.

An extensive 48-hour search, covering 600 square miles between La Jolla and San Mateo, California, turned up no indication of Ruden's whereabouts, but he is presumed lost at sea.

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated August 21, 2019; casefile added.