Richard Kristovich Missing Person Case

Oct 09, 2019

May 08, 2024

Richard

Kristovich

74

37

71 inches

190 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

On January 29, 1989, 37-year-old Richard "Rick" Nicholas Kristovich was aboard the 98-foot steel crab fishing vessel, the Vestfjord, when it was lost at sea. The vessel was traveling from Seattle to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, when it encountered a severe storm with hurricane-force winds and 30-foot seas approximately 30 miles south of the Trinity Islands, which are located just west of Kodiak Island. The crew sent out a mayday signal, reporting that the boat was sinking due to the immense weight of accumulating ice. Richard, an American Indian/Alaska Native male with black hair and brown eyes, was one of six crew members on board. He had a tattoo of a sailing ship with the name "Anna" on his upper left arm. Family members shared that Richard had spoken to his sweetheart on the day of the incident and intended to return to her. The severe weather conditions in the Gulf of Alaska hampered immediate search and rescue efforts for the Vestfjord and its crew. Despite the challenges, search aircraft and the Coast Guard cutter Sedge were dispatched to the area where the vessel was last reported. Tragically, the vessel was never located. The entire crew of six was lost in the incident. The crew members who perished alongside Richard Kristovich were skipper Dick LaGary, Kevin Melnick, Doug Harding, Bill Hodgins, and a passenger named Danny McDonald. In the aftermath of the sinking, the bodies of two crew members were recovered, though the identities of those individuals are not specified in available reports. The disappearance of Richard Kristovich and the other crew members of the Vestfjord remains a painful memory for their families and the maritime community. The Alaska State Troopers investigated the sinking of the vessel. Richard Kristovich, along with Richard Legary, Daniel McDonald, and Kevin Melnick, are officially listed as missing persons. The case serves as a somber reminder of the perils faced by those who work in the unpredictable waters off the coast of Alaska. The loss of the Vestfjord and its crew is one of many maritime tragedies that have occurred in the region, highlighting the unforgiving nature of the sea.

Jan 29, 1989

Dillingham

Alaska

Dillingham Census Area

No

64753

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

890012334

1989-01-29

Alaska State Troopers

9793

Black

Brown

Brown

07/16/2026