Missing Delco Man's Remains Found By YouTube Divers

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — A group of popular YouTube divers said they have found the body of a Delaware County man who went missing nearly 20 years ago.

James Amabile, a 38-year-old father, was last seen Dec. 4, 2003 after telling his daughters' babysitter he would pick them up in five minutes, according to the group Adventures With Purpose, which has more than 2 million followers on YouTube.

"Mr. Amabile never arrived and was never seen again," according to the group.

But over the weekend, the Oregon based diving group headed into Darby Creek in Delaware County to find Amabile's body, and they said they came out successful.

After diving into the waters, the group said they found a vehicle in Darby Creek 24 feet below the water and 200 yards away from Stingers Waterfront in Ridley Park.

Adventures With Purpose then contacted local authorities and a joint effort led to remains being pulled from the water.

"The cooperation of Ridley Township PD was critical in the success of this recovery every step of the way and we tip our hat to their professionalism and their trust in our experience to conduct this forensics recovery," the group said.

Police said the plate of the vehicle found matched that of a vehicle tied to a missing person incident in 2003.

According to Delaware County, the Medical Examiner’s Office is working to identify the body through a positive identification through either dental records or DNA, which can take up to several months to make a positive identification.

The Amabile family is convinced the remains are that of the long-missing father member, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

"At this moment we want to take a moment to express our sympathies to the entire Amabile family as they navigate this tragic outcome to a nightmare that has lasted 18 years," Adventures With Purpose said. "We are honored to be in this position to help families and it is because of you, our supporters, that this is possible."

Now, the group is working on the case of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone, a Mount Laurel Township woman and Pennsylvania man who went missing after a night out more than 17 years ago.

Adventures With a Purpose, founded in 2019, has helped solve 19 missing-persons cases and found more than 100 missing vehicles.

The group is funded by donations and merchandise sales.

See here to learn more about Adventures With a Purpose or to contribute to their efforts.