Overview

Last seen: September 22, 1974
Location: Bryan Beach near Freeport, Brazoria County, Texas
Age: 17
Date of birth: May 18, 1957
Classification: Lost/Injured Missing
NamUs: MP10849
Doe Network: 4299DMTX
Law-enforcement case number: 7411718

Main circumstances: Mark and David Hesterlee were among a group of Houston teenagers camping in the Bryan Beach area. The two friends went surfing at approximately 6:00 a.m. Their surfboards were reportedly tethered to their ankles. When they had not returned to shore by approximately 11:00 p.m., beach patrol was notified and a search began.

The search continued for several days, but neither teenager nor either surfboard was found. Public case records continue to describe the disappearance as an apparent accident at sea rather than a confirmed homicide.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Mark Lindsey Bachelder: The 1974 Disappearance at Bryan Beach, Texas

Seventeen-year-old Mark Lindsey Bachelder disappeared while surfing with his friend David Hesterlee, also 17, at Bryan Beach on the Texas Gulf Coast on September 22, 1974. More than five decades later, neither teenager nor either of their surfboards has been recovered, and Mark remains listed as missing.

Brief Case Summary

Last seen: September 22, 1974
Location: Bryan Beach near Freeport, Brazoria County, Texas
Age: 17
Date of birth: May 18, 1957
Classification: Lost/Injured Missing
NamUs: MP10849
Doe Network: 4299DMTX
Law-enforcement case number: 7411718

Main circumstances: Mark and David Hesterlee were among a group of Houston teenagers camping in the Bryan Beach area. The two friends went surfing at approximately 6:00 a.m. Their surfboards were reportedly tethered to their ankles. When they had not returned to shore by approximately 11:00 p.m., beach patrol was notified and a search began.

The search continued for several days, but neither teenager nor either surfboard was found. Public case records continue to describe the disappearance as an apparent accident at sea rather than a confirmed homicide.

The Morning Mark and David Disappeared

On Sunday, September 22, 1974, Mark Bachelder and David Hesterlee went into the Gulf of Mexico to surf near Bryan Beach, close to the mouth of the Brazos River.

The teenagers were friends from Houston and had been camping in the area with other young people. Available case accounts say Mark and David entered the water at approximately 6:00 a.m.

Neither teenager was considered an experienced surfer. Later case summaries also state that swimming and surfing were prohibited in the area where they entered the water because of dangerous conditions. Another teenager who had planned to surf that morning reportedly decided against going because the water was too cold.

Hours Passed Without Their Return

Mark and David did not return to shore.

By approximately 11:00 p.m.—about 17 hours after they reportedly entered the water—beach patrol had been notified, triggering a search for the missing teenagers.

Search efforts continued for several days. Despite the extensive effort, searchers did not locate Mark, David, or either of the surfboards they had taken into the Gulf.

The absence of the surfboards became an important and unusual part of the case. Not only did two teenagers disappear, but the large and distinct boards associated with them apparently vanished as well.

Mark Bachelder’s Distinctive Yellow Surfboard

Mark’s surfboard could have been particularly recognizable.

Case descriptions identify it as an old, battered board with a white top and bright yellow bottom. The word “Sunshine” appeared on its deck, while the underside reportedly featured an image of an Indigenous person on horseback. Its fin was red with gold trim.

Mark was reportedly wearing blue cutoff jeans when he disappeared.

David’s board was described as an older, battered pale-yellow surfboard with an unclear design. It reportedly had a ding in the deck filled with purple wax, duct tape near the front and rear portions of the board, and two black fins.

Neither board has been publicly reported recovered.

Why Investigators Believed the Teenagers Were Lost at Sea

The known circumstances have long supported the theory that Mark and David encountered trouble in the Gulf.

They were inexperienced surfers, entered an area considered unsafe for swimming and surfing, and disappeared together after entering the water early that morning. The fact that another teenager reportedly decided the water was too cold to surf adds context to the conditions the group encountered.

After a search lasting several days failed to locate the teenagers or their equipment, authorities came to believe Mark and David had been lost at sea.

That remains the explanation reflected in major public missing-person case summaries. Mark is classified as Lost/Injured Missing, however, rather than officially listed as a confirmed drowning victim.

Identifying Information for Mark Bachelder

Mark was 17 when he disappeared. He was approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and 125 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

His date of birth is May 18, 1957. Case records also note that Mark had previously fractured his back.

An age-progressed image was later produced showing how Mark might have appeared at approximately 57 years old.

More Than Five Decades Without an Answer

Mark’s disappearance remains documented in national and independent missing-person databases.

NamUs identifies his case as MP10849, while the Doe Network lists him as 4299DMTX. Missing People in America publishes law-enforcement case number 7411718 and its own database number, MPIA 5781.

There have also been attempts within online missing-person communities to compare Mark with unidentified remains. These discussions can generate possible leads, but they should not be confused with official identifications or investigative conclusions unless confirmed by law enforcement or forensic authorities.

For example, a 2024 Reddit discussion questioned whether unidentified remains discovered on a Florida beach could conceivably be connected to Mark. The discussion was speculative, and no verified identification connecting those remains to Mark was found in the public records reviewed for this article.

Latest Publicly Available Case Information

The most recent significant public update located during research appeared on May 11, 2026, when The Charley Project updated Mark’s case file with a photograph and additional details concerning his disappearance.

The updated record continues to list Mark as missing and states that Mark and David are believed to have been lost at sea. David’s companion case was also updated on May 11, 2026.

No public announcement was located indicating that Mark’s remains, David’s remains, Mark’s yellow “Sunshine” surfboard, or David’s pale-yellow surfboard has been recovered.

The case therefore remains unresolved in publicly available missing-person records more than half a century after the teenagers disappeared.

The Continuing Mystery of Bryan Beach

The disappearance of Mark Lindsey Bachelder and David Hesterlee is unusual because two teenagers and two sizeable surfboards apparently disappeared during the same outing without leaving a publicly documented physical trace.

The most straightforward explanation has long been a fatal accident in the Gulf of Mexico. Yet without recovered remains or other conclusive physical evidence, Mark’s fate has never been definitively established.

For Mark’s family and for those who continue researching long-term missing-person cases, his record remains open to one fundamental question: what happened after Mark and David entered the water at Bryan Beach on September 22, 1974?

Anyone with information concerning Mark Bachelder’s disappearance should contact the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office or the Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse.