He disappeared in 2010. Divers on Long Island think they may have found his remains.
The remains were found around 5 p.m. on June 30 inside a vehicle submerged in water at the Mount Sinai Cedar Beach Boat Ramp, the Suffolk County Police Department said in a news release.
The divers who found the remains, volunteer organizations Explorers with a Mission and Adventures with Purpose, believe the remains belong to 62-year-old Robert J. Long.
Long was last seen the afternoon of Dec. 21, 2010, the organizers said.
Here's what we know so far about the discovery.
Man left his home and went to wine store, then disappeared
Long left his home the afternoon of Dec. 21, 2010, to head to a wine store, Explorers with a Mission and Adventures with Purpose said.
'He did make it to the store and bought a bottle of liquor, but never returned home and has never been heard from again,' the organizations posted on social media on July 1.
At the time, Long had little to no cash, his cell phone, and no charger, and since then, authorities have been looking for Long's off-white 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser.
How did the team find the remains?
The distance from the wine store to where the car was found is just over 3 ½ miles, according to the divers.
The organizations that found the remains used side-scan sonar devices and found the PT Cruiser submerged in the water around 5 p.m. on June 30, the Suffolk County Police Department said in its news release.
The divers then got into the water and found a human bone inside the vehicle. They called the police at 7:43 p.m. that night.
According to authorities, Marine Bureau divers conducted an initial search of the vehicle, suspended the search that night due to water conditions, and continued searching on July 1, finding more remains.
A company called Murphy's Marine Services let authorities use their crane to take the vehicle out of the water, police said.
The Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner will determine who the remains belong to. When USA TODAY contacted the Suffolk County Medical Examiner on July 7 to ask about the identification of the remains, the office referred the paper to a police spokesperson.
'The remains found in the car have not been identified and we have not named who the person could be,' the spokesperson said. 'A private search group spoke about a specific person they were looking for.'
The spokesperson added that 'the remains are believed to be from a missing persons case and that person's family has been notified,' but the person's ID has not been confirmed.
Vehicle was in 'amazing condition' to have been in water for so long, diver says
While police did not name Long, the missing man, the divers said the vehicle they found matches his, and the remains likely belong to him.
'He was sitting there for 14 ½ years, 55 feet from the boat ramp edge,' said Bill McIntosh of Exploring with a Mission.
The divers think he entered the water during low tide, adding that the depth of the water changes significantly from high tide to low tide. The spot where the vehicle was found sits at about 18.4 feet at low tide and 12.7 feet at low tide, the team said.
'He literally drove down the boat ramp very, very slowly, because the front end of that PT Cruiser, all of its plastic, all of its fenders were in perfect condition,' McIntosh said.
Missing man's wife posts on social media about discovery
His wife, Joanne, told the divers she checked the ramp multiple times.
'She had gone to that boat ramp four or five times in the first days that he went missing, saying 'I know he's there,'' McIntosh said.
She said on social media that she feels blessed that his remains have been found.
"Memories will resurface," she wrote. "It's a sigh of relief, piggybacked by intense sadness. Having to face such a loss twice, isn't easy. This is how I feel...like I'm dancing with birds in the darkness."
Authorities seeking information
Authorities ask that anyone with information about the remains contact Homicide Squad detectives at (631) 852-6392.
Tipsters can also report a crime anonymously to 1-800-220-TIPS, or via the P3 Tips mobile app. Information that leads to an arrest could lead to a $5,000 reward.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
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