Russ Rolnick

Rolnick, circa 1984

  • Missing Since 02/24/1984
  • Missing From Coconut Grove, Florida
  • Classification Lost/Injured Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 02/12/1958 (66)
  • Age 26 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'11, 175 pounds
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Black 1979 Datsun 280Z (accounted for), 16-foot orange and white ski boat
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, blue eyes. Rolnick had a mustache at the time of his disappearance.

Details of Disappearance

Rolnick was last seen in Coconut Grove, Florida on February 24, 1984. He and a friend, Alan J. Hirsch, were on their 16-foot orange and white ski boat and, after having a short dinner at Monty Trainer's restaurant, they left to sail home.

Witnesses at the restaurant said the men appeared have taken drugs; the restaurant manager thought they were under the influence and refused to serve them alcohol. They were were also having trouble with their boat's engine, and the boat's lights weren't working.

A few minutes after Rolnick and Hirsch left the restaurant, their boat ran out of gas. They paddled to a gas station on the causeway, where Rolnick called his ex-girlfriend at 5:55 p.m. He told his girlfriend he had one more errand to do and wanted to be home by dark, and that he would call her between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m.

Neither of the men arrived home and they have never been heard from again. Rolnick's black 1979 Datsun 280Z was found later near the Miamarina, a waterfront restaurant near the Miami Grand Prix. An extensive search covering 11,000 square miles over three states, the south Atlantic and the Caribbean turned up no sign of either Rolnick and Hirsch, or the boat. They are presumed lost at sea.

According to his mother, Rolnick had used drugs such as marijuana during his high school years. He began using drugs again shortly before his disappearance, including cocaine. He was stressed because his stepfather had been murdered three and a half months before he went missing. Hirsch, a University of Miami graduate, habitually used Quaaludes, a prescription sedative.

Rolnick enjoys water-skiing, boating and fishing; he's an excellent swimmer and he's owned a boat since he was ten years old.

Photos of Hirsch are unavailable. His date of birth is October 15, 1957, making him 26 years old at the time of his disappearance. He's Caucasian, 5'9 and 140 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Investigating Agency

  • North Miami Police Department
  • 305-471-8477
  • 305-899-2457
  • 305-899-2415

Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated May 14, 2018; distinguishing characteristics and details of disappearance updated.