Black was last seen in Janesville, Wisconsin on November 18, 2002. He lived in the 100 block of Glenview Court. He said he planned to go cruising on his boat out on Lake Michigan. His vehicle and empty boat trailer were found parked by the pier in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In December 2002, his scuba gear and oxygen tank washed up on shore in Ottawa County, Michigan. There was no sign of Black or his 18-foot boat, however. He has never been heard from again.

Black worked as an opthamologist at the time of his disappearance. He is an experienced scuba diver who had been diving for twenty-five years by the time he went missing. He also enjoys tennis, bike riding and cross-country skiing. He is presumed to be lost at sea.