Persho was last seen on January 14, 1998. Four days beforehand, he had gone to work on Edward Ballo's fishing vessel, the Kelly J. Ballo stated they were out on the Gulf of Mexico, 60 miles west of Madeira Beach, Florida, when Persho became ill and started to hallucinate. He jumped off the boat into the ocean. Ballo attempted to help Persho back on the boat by throwing ropes and a ladder into the water, but Persho kept pushing them away and refused assistance. Ballo then called the United States Coast Guard for help. By the time Coast Guard officials arrived, however, Persho had disappeared. He is believed to have drowned, but his body was not recovered.