Natalia Molina Valenzuela, a 24-year-old woman from Colombia, was a crew member on the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship. On September 8, 2016, while the ship was in the waters of Funter Bay, west of Juneau, Alaska, Natalia was last seen. She was part of the crew enjoying the unique opportunity to work while traveling and seeing the world. The cruise had departed from Seattle, Washington, for an eight-day trip through the scenic Alaskan waters. Friends and family knew her by the nickname Naty.
She had studied at the College Institution of Cultural Integration in Bogota before starting her career with the cruise line.
The alarm was raised early on September 8th when Natalia did not show up for her scheduled shift. A review of the ship's security footage revealed that she had gone overboard while the vessel was underway. The United States Coast Guard was immediately alerted to her disappearance. They launched an extensive search and rescue operation that would last for 42 hours. The search efforts covered a vast area of 340 square miles in Lynn Canal. Multiple agencies, including Coast Guard air and boat crews from Sitka and Ketchikan, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Liberty, and the Alaska State Troopers, all took part in the search for the missing crew member. Despite their exhaustive efforts, the search was ultimately unsuccessful.
After 42 hours of intensive searching with no sign of Natalia, the difficult decision was made to suspend the official search. She is presumed to have drowned in the cold waters of Funter Bay, though her body has never been recovered. At the time she was last seen, she was wearing a maroon pullover, light green knee-length pants, and tan shoes. The case remains a sorrowful mystery, a reminder of a vibrant young life lost at sea. The Alaska State Troopers are the investigating agency for her case. An overview of the case is that a young woman working on a cruise ship disappeared at sea, and despite a significant search effort, she was never found and is presumed to have drowned.Last Seen: Sep 8, 2016
