WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Nancy and Gil Fornatora finally have another item that belonged to their son, Darryl.
On Thursday, the family received his cell phone in the mail.
"It is ugly knowing that somebody else wiped all the information that my son had and there are pictures of somebody else's family on there," Nancy said during an interview on Friday.
Authorities tracked down Darryl's phone in March.
Investigators say someone found it in the back of the car Darryl rented for his January surf trip to Cabarete in the Dominican Republic.
That person, investigators say, removed Darryl's information from the card and used it as their personal cell phone.
Darryl's last correspondence with his parents was through a text message on that phone.
"At 6:28 he texted me that he had an epic day surfing. He had been in the water for about five hours, was exhausted, ready to crash. Said 'Love you' and 'Will call you tomorrow,'" Nancy said.
But that call never came.
Since he was reported missing, Nancy and Gil have hired the help of investigator Michael Ciravolo with Beau Dietl and Associates out of New York. (http://www.investigations.com)
Over the phone on Friday, Michael said it is too soon to tell if he'll be able to gather any information off that cell phone that belonged to Darryl.
He's urging anyone with information on his disappearance to contact him at his office by calling (212)557-3334.
Darryl's parents say it's expensive to use the help of private investigators.
To help offset the costs, Darryl's friends created a GoFundMe page to raise money.
Friends are also selling shirts with the phrase #AnswersForDarryl printed on them. (https://www.Booster.com/AnswersForDarryl)
Darryl's parents say the last five months have been a "nightmare."
"Not knowing what happened is a horror," Nancy said.
While investigators in the U.S. help, she said authorities and residents in the Dominican Republic aren't as helpful.
"We're at the point where we need somebody in the Dominican Republic to come forward with information. The fact that they haven't when there has been rewards offered for information makes it very strange," Nancy said.
The Fornatora's have given up hope that their son is alive. They just want to know what happened to him.
"Something happened to Darryl. I don't believe people disappear into thin air. He's somewhere out there and we need to continue the search for answers," Nancy said.
