Our history is peppered with intriguing tales of unexplained disappearances. These stories, some of them fascinating and unexplained, range from those supported by archival records and documents to tales with a distinct flavor of fiction. We present to you a list of the ten most strange and unexplained disappearances in history.
The story of the disappearance of Oliver Larch is in many ways similar to the case of the disappearance of David Lang (3rd item on the list). One winter day, Larch went out into the yard to draw water from the well and disappeared into thin air. After him there was only a string of footprints in the snow, which ended abruptly halfway. This happened at the end of the 19th century in Indiana; other sources mention North Wales. There is another case involving Oliver Thomas from Radnorshire (Wales), who disappeared in 1909.
In December 1900, 3 lighthouse workers disappeared, leaving behind all the equipment necessary to survive on the island at this time of year. Despite numerous searches, the workers were never found. According to official data, their disappearance is explained by the fact that they were washed into the ocean by a large wave.
Between 1920 and 1950, a series of mysterious disappearances occurred in Bennington, Vermont. Here are a few of them.
On December 1, 1949, James Tedford disappeared from a crowded bus. Thetford was heading home to Bennington from St Alban's. The former military man was sitting on the bus with 14 other passengers. They all confirmed that they saw him sleeping in his place. But when the bus reached its destination, Thetford was not on it. All his belongings, luggage and a brochure with bus schedules, remained in place, and the passenger himself was never found.
In mid-October 1950, 8-year-old Paul Jepson disappeared from his farm. Paul's mother, who cared for animals for a living, left him playing peacefully near the pigsty. Some time later, she returned, but did not find him there. An extensive search operation yielded no results.
Owen Parfitt was left paralyzed by a massive stroke. In June 1763, he, as usual, was on the porch of his sister's house. The immobilized 60-year-old man sat calmly in his chair. The weather began to deteriorate and the workers who were removing the hay hurried to finish their work as quickly as possible. Around 7 p.m., Parfitt's sister, Suzanne, asked her neighbor to help her move her brother's chair into the house. But when they reached the chair, Parfitt was not there. All that was left of him was his coat. Parfitt's fate is still unknown.
Disappearance of a diplomat
In 1809, British diplomat Benjamin Bathurst disappeared into thin air. Bathurst was returning from Hamburg with his companion, after a diplomatic mission to the Austrian court. On the way, they stopped for lunch at a hotel in the city of Perelberg. After eating, the men returned to the waiting carriage. Bathurst approached him in front to look at the horses - and then disappeared without a trace.
Time tunnel
In 1975, Jackson Wright and his wife were returning from New Jersey to New York. On the way they entered the Lincoln Tunnel. As Wright says, a strong wind suddenly blew, and the rear window of the car was covered with a layer of dust. Martha Wright asked her husband to stop the car, got out of it and began to wipe the glass. When Jackson turned to his wife, she was not there. He didn't hear any sounds or screams, she just disappeared into thin air.
Three soldiers claimed to have witnessed the strange disappearance of an entire platoon in 1915. They clearly saw a battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment climb the slope at Suvla Bay, Turkey. The hill was covered with a low cloud, into which the English soldiers entered without hesitation. They never came out of it again. After the last of the battalion entered the cloud, it slowly climbed up the slope to join the other clouds in the sky. When the war was over, the British government, believing that the battalion had been captured, demanded their return from Turkey. However, the Turks claimed that they never came into contact with the battalion, much less took them prisoner.
The incredible disappearance of David Lang
A famous incident occurred on a farm in Tennessee in September 1880, in front of several witnesses. Lang's two children, George and Sarah, were playing in the yard. Their parents David and Emma walked out to the main entrance, after which David headed out to the horses' pasture. At the same time, the carriage of their family friend, August Peck, began to approach the house. John turned around, saw his friend and waved to him. A few seconds later, David Lang, right in front of his wife, children and friend, disappeared. Emma screamed, and all the witnesses ran to the place where David had just been, believing that he had fallen into a hole. But there was no hole there. A thorough search yielded no results. A few months later, Lang's children noticed that the grass in the very place where Lang disappeared had turned yellow and took on the shape of a circle.
Mysterious disappearance at Stonehenge
The mystical building of Stonehenge became the site of disappearances in August 1971. At that time, Stonehenge was not yet closed to the public, and one night a group of hippies decided to set up tents right in the center of the structure. They lit a fire, sat around and began to sing songs. Their fun was interrupted at about 2 a.m. by a severe thunderstorm. Bright, shining lightning illuminated everything around. Two witnesses, a farmer and a policeman, claimed that the stones began to glow with a powerful blue glow, from the brightness of which they had to look away. They heard screams and immediately rushed to the tent camp, fearing that they would find wounded or even dead. To their surprise, there was no one there. All they found were the smoldering remains of tents and an extinguished fire. The hippies disappeared without a trace.
The Vanished Village
Unfortunately, many people go missing almost every day. Some cases of disappearances not only become public knowledge, but are also actively discussed throughout the world. In today's article we will tell you about the disappearance of people whose cases are widely known.
April Fabb 
The disappearance of a 13-year-old schoolgirl from Norfolk has become one of the most notorious cases in British history. It happened on a quiet and calm April day in 1969. April decided to visit her sister, who lived in a nearby village. The girl rode a bicycle, because the weather was favorable for this type of transport. The last time 13-year-old April was seen was by a truck driver. The driver said he saw the girl driving along a country road at approximately 2:06 p.m. Based on the investigation, already at 14:12 April’s bicycle was found several hundred yards from that same country road in the middle of a field, but there were no traces, any physical evidence or biological material of the girl.
The investigation revealed its cards, telling the public that the alleged kidnappers had only 6 minutes to grab the girl and escape from the crime scene undetected. All searches for April were unsuccessful. Investigators still did not understand how the kidnappers could carry out their business in just 6 minutes without any traces or evidence. Theodosia Barr Alston
Theodosia Barr
Alston was the oldest child in the family of disgraced US Vice President Aaron Burr. She later successfully married South Carolina Governor Joseph Alstor. Fate was not kind to this woman. Five years later, after her father was accused of treason, her beloved son dies. She was so blinded by grief that she could not get out of bed. Theodosia could go for days without eating or drinking anything, she did not communicate with anyone, and only occasionally allowed her husband into her room. The news that her father was returning home from exile was a breath of fresh air for her. This gave strength to the young woman, because she understood that she would meet someone dear to her.
On New Year's Eve 1812, Theodosia boarded a schooner called the Patriot, which was supposed to take her to New York to see her father. Her husband, who had recently assumed the post of governor, was unable to accompany her due to his duties related to the War of 1812, which broke out around the same time that Theodosia's son died. The schooner never reached its destination. Some have speculated that the ship was hijacked by pirates, but most historians seem to believe that the Patriot sank as a result of a major storm that was recorded in the region at the time.
Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller is a famous American arranger, trombonist and leader of one of the largest swing orchestras of those times. From the late 1930s to the early 1940s, he was the most in-demand entertainer in America. After the United States entered the Second world war, Henry decided to join the US Navy, but his candidacy was rejected, and instead he decided to do everything in his power to help the army. In late 1944, Miller and two other soldiers boarded a plane to France, where he planned to organize a concert for American troops. But suddenly the plane disappeared from radar somewhere over the English Channel. Search crews never found the plane or passengers. He just disappeared.
Amelia Earhart
The story of Amelia Earhart is probably the most famous missing person case. Her exploits as a pilot made her a worldwide celebrity. In 1937, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan set off on a planned flight around the world. On July 2, Earhart began sending out radio messages indicating that they were low on fuel and were desperately seeking help. The US Coast Guard patrol vessel Itasca moved to help. But the Itasca never found Earhart and Noonan's plane, so an attempt was made to set off smoke signals in the hope that the pilots would be able to see the smoke, but all was in vain. After an official search by the US Navy and Coast Guard, as well as a private search funded by Amelia's husband, no significant results were found. Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan were declared dead in 1939.
Sergey Bodrov
Much is known today about how Sergei Bodrov died, but the very moment of his death can only be reconstructed based on the circumstances revealed during the investigation. On the early autumn morning of September 20, 2002, the group, having gathered in the hotel lobby, went out for location shooting in the mountains. The day didn’t go well right away, there was a climb ahead, and we had to wait a long time vehicles, in connection with which the start of work planned for 9:00 was delayed until one in the afternoon. Then, as it turned out later, filming began and continued until about seven in the evening, when it began to get dark. Sergei Bodrov's film crew loaded up the equipment and set off on their way back. At a quarter past nine, the mudflow covered a huge area, its mass was several million tons of stones, mud, sand and ice, and the speed exceeded 100 km/h. The layer turned out to be thick and reached 300 meters.
MOSCOW, May 20— RIA Novosti, Viktor Zvantsev. Thousands of volunteers, rescuers and police can search for one missing person. Some large-scale search operations last for years, but people are never found. Moreover, it is not possible to find any traces, not a single clue. In such cases, even experienced investigators throw up their hands and say: as if they were abducted by aliens. RIA Novosti talks about the loudest and mysterious disappearances that have happened in Russia recently.
Chain of disappearances
In November 2013, two siblings disappeared in the village of Rechnaya, Kirov Region: eight-year-old Serezha and eleven-year-old Volodya Kulakov. The boys went for a walk and did not return. Local residents, volunteers, rescuers and police combed the entire area - to no avail. Investigators were considering several versions, including an accident and criminality. They interviewed thousands of people, conducted hundreds of examinations, but nothing was clarified. It is believed that the children could have become victims of an unknown maniac.
A few days earlier, local doctor Anatoly Galkin disappeared in the village. He went into the forest, where his friends were waiting for him, but never reached them. And two days after the start of the search for the Kulakovs, hunter Gennady Gromov, who took an active part in them, disappeared. His body was discovered eight months later - there were no wounds or signs of beatings. The search for the children and the doctor is still ongoing.
Didn't make it to the apartment
In September 2009, 28-year-old child psychologist Irina Safonova disappeared in Novosibirsk. On the evening of the eighth, she went to the cinema with her boyfriend Alexander Skurikhin. After the session, Skurikhin took her home by car and dropped her off at the entrance. However, Irina did not appear at home, where her ten-year-old son was waiting. That same night, a neighbor found a bunch of keys to her apartment in the elevator.
© Photo: Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk region
© Photo: Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk region
The next day, relatives, volunteers and police organized a search. Soon almost the entire city was looking for her, but everything was in vain. Investigators opened a criminal case under the article "Murder". Skurikhin was one of the main suspects, but hours of interrogation and polygraph tests yielded nothing. Also, there was not a single witness who saw Safonova entering or exiting the elevator. The search continues.
Didn't get back from vacation
In September 2009, Yana Fedorova, a 29-year-old dentist from Novosibirsk, disappeared without a trace in Altai. She decided to spend her vacation in nature and came to a small resort town Belokurikha. I spent the night in a hotel, and the next day I took my backpack and went for a walk, from which I did not return. The mobile phone was left on the bed in the hotel room.
Rescuers, dog handlers and dogs searched for her, and a helicopter from the Ministry of Emergency Situations was lifted into the air. Combing the area did not bring any results. Investigators were considering several versions, including murder. They even involved a team of local psychics. The criminal investigation has now been suspended, but operational search activities continue.
Murder or kidnapping
At the beginning of March 2014, in Novoaltaisk, ten-year-old Ksenia Bokova was returning from school and around noon she stopped answering calls. The mobile phone was found that evening near the bridge. Investigators suggested that the girl could have drowned. Divers carefully examined the waters of the Malaya Cheremshanka River - nothing. Investigators considered murder and kidnapping as one of the main versions, but found no traces or witnesses.
Desperate, the relatives of the missing girl turned to psychics, whose opinions were divided: some said that Ksyusha was alive, others said that she had been kidnapped and, most likely, she was dead. They are still looking for the schoolgirl: volunteers in different cities Russia is putting up leaflets, and the police are conducting search operations.
Lost with the truck
In the spring of 2016, 55-year-old truck driver Yuri Ozherelyev disappeared on the Ural highway, transporting 20 tons of alcoholic beverages from Kabardino-Balkaria to Yekaterinburg. Along with him, the Volvo truck disappeared without a trace. Investigators found out that the driver left Ufa early in the morning and was supposed to arrive at the final destination of the route in the evening. However, in Chelyabinsk region communication with him was lost. A few months later, his broken phone was found 20 kilometers from Yekaterinburg.
Thousands of volunteers, rescuers and police can search for one missing person. Some large-scale search operations last for years, but people are never found. Moreover, it is not possible to find any traces, not a single clue. In such cases, even experienced investigators throw up their hands and say: as if they were abducted by aliens. RIA Novosti talks about the loudest and most mysterious disappearances that have happened in Russia recently.
Chain of disappearances
In November 2013, two siblings disappeared in the village of Rechnaya, Kirov Region: eight-year-old Serezha and eleven-year-old Volodya Kulakov. The boys went for a walk and did not return. Local residents, volunteers, rescuers and police combed the entire area - to no avail. Investigators were considering several versions, including an accident and criminality. They interviewed thousands of people, conducted hundreds of examinations, but nothing was clarified. It is believed that the children could have become victims of an unknown maniac.
A few days earlier, local doctor Anatoly Galkin disappeared in the village. He went into the forest, where his friends were waiting for him, but never reached them. And two days after the start of the search for the Kulakovs, hunter Gennady Gromov, who took an active part in them, disappeared. His body was discovered eight months later - there were no wounds or signs of beatings. The search for the children and the doctor is still ongoing.
Didn't make it to the apartment
In September 2009, 28-year-old child psychologist Irina Safonova disappeared in Novosibirsk. On the evening of the eighth, she went to the cinema with her boyfriend Alexander Skurikhin. After the session, Skurikhin took her home by car and dropped her off at the entrance. However, Irina did not appear at home, where her ten-year-old son was waiting. That same night, a neighbor found a bunch of keys to her apartment in the elevator.
The next day, relatives, volunteers and police organized a search. Soon almost the entire city was looking for her, but everything was in vain. Investigators opened a criminal case under the article "Murder". Skurikhin was one of the main suspects, but hours of interrogation and polygraph tests yielded nothing. Also, there was not a single witness who saw Safonova entering or exiting the elevator. The search continues.
Didn't get back from vacation
In September 2009, 29-year-old dentist from Novosibirsk Yana Fedorova disappeared without a trace in Altai. She decided to spend her vacation outdoors and came to the small resort town of Belokurikha. I spent the night in a hotel, and the next day I took my backpack and went for a walk, from which I did not return. The mobile phone was left on the bed in the hotel room.
Rescuers, dog handlers and dogs were looking for her, and a helicopter from the Ministry of Emergency Situations was lifted into the air. Combing the area did not bring any results. Investigators were considering several versions, including murder. They even involved a team of local psychics. The criminal investigation has now been suspended, but operational search activities continue.
Murder or kidnapping
At the beginning of March 2014, in Novoaltaisk, ten-year-old Ksenia Bokova was returning from school and around noon she stopped answering calls. The mobile phone was found that evening near the bridge. Investigators suggested that the girl could have drowned. Divers carefully examined the waters of the Malaya Cheremshanka River - nothing. Investigators considered murder and kidnapping as one of the main versions, but found no traces or witnesses.
Desperate, the relatives of the missing girl turned to psychics, whose opinions were divided: some said that Ksyusha was alive, others said that she had been kidnapped and, most likely, she was dead. They are still looking for the schoolgirl: volunteers in different cities of Russia are posting leaflets, and police are conducting search operations.
In Russia alone, about 120 thousand people disappear per year, and throughout the world this figure reaches several hundred thousand. According to statistics, experts never find traces of even a quarter of the missing, which is why their stories begin to become overgrown with rumors and are associated with various mystical phenomena.
Mysterious disappearances of people have occurred at all times, and many of them were documented back in the Middle Ages. But, it would seem, how in the age of modern technology, media and ample opportunities for a thorough search can a person disappear so that not even a small clue remains about his whereabouts?
In 1910, the mysterious story of the disappearance of this socialite, who was the daughter of the owner large company, led to many rumors and versions. IN good location spirit, she left her house on the morning of December 12 without money or belongings.
On the way, she met several of her acquaintances, bought a humorous book at a bookstore, and then saw her friend Gladys. She was the last person to see the girl as she headed home through the park.
Dorothy's father spent more than one hundred thousand dollars searching for her, which was a huge amount at that time, but did not get any results. The versions of murder, suicide and memory loss were refuted by the police.
Disappearance at Stonehenge
This mystical incident in 1971, which occurred near Stonehenge, is one of the biggest mysteries in human history. A group of hippie tourists decided to set up camp right in the center of this structure.
At night, a storm suddenly began, and the place was illuminated by a bright flash of blue. She was seen by two witnesses - a policeman and a farmer, who immediately rushed to the stones, but found no one.
After this disappearance, no one was ever seen again, either alive or dead.
Lost in the mountains
In 2007, a woman named Barbara Bolick went with her friend on a dangerous journey into the mountains. According to him, they moved together all the time, but at some point he stopped for a few seconds to admire the luxurious view.
When he turned to say something to his companion, it turned out that she was no longer there. The police thoroughly checked the man, initially not believing his version, and then completely combed the area, but Barbara was never found.
Disappearance from a wheelchair
The disappearances of people who have certain physical disabilities and cannot move independently look especially strange.
So one day, a sixty-year-old man named Owen Parfitt, who was resting in a wheelchair in the courtyard of his own house, disappeared in an unknown direction.
When his sister came out to help him drive back in, it turned out that he was nowhere to be found. No traces other than his coat were ever found.
Disappearance of the village
There were also mass disappearances of people. There is a known case when in 1930 the inhabitants of an entire Eskimo village disappeared, and no one has been able to explain this mystical incident to this day.
All things remained in the houses, and the situation itself looked as if people had left their homes for a few minutes: there was half-eaten food on the tables, and nearby there were household items that people, apparently, had used just before their disappearance.
No traces indicating that people had left were found around the village.
The dogs were found tied and covered with snow, which seemed strange: the Eskimos were always kind to animals and, when leaving, would not leave their friends to certain death. But the worst thing in this story is that all the graves of their ancestors were opened.
Considering that it was winter and the ground was frozen, it was impossible to dig them all up quickly and without special equipment. Eyewitnesses claim that before the incident they saw a large luminous object in the sky that changed shape and moved towards the village.
No one can say what actually happened, but the fact that an entire village disappeared is irrefutable.
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