On the evening of April 6, 2016, 40-year-old Jesse Mills told his wife he was going for a walk from their Sitka, Alaska, home. It is believed he went on a solo kayaking trip, as his lime-green and white single-seat Seaward kayak was also missing. The weather that night was rainy with winds between 15 and 25 miles per hour. Mills, who had moved to Sitka from California with his wife just two months prior, did not leave a float plan. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black Carhartt pants.
When Jesse Mills did not return, his wife reported him missing the following morning, prompting a search by the Coast Guard, Sitka Police, and Fire Departments. The search efforts intensified, with several friends and coworkers joining in with their private vessels. Two days after he was last seen, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted his overturned kayak on Kasiana Island, approximately four miles from Sitka. The kayak was found wedged between rocks with a paddle still attached.
Despite the discovery of the kayak, extensive searches of the island and surrounding waters by air and ground teams, including search dogs, yielded no trace of Mills. After days of searching with no further leads, the U.S. Coast Guard made the difficult decision to suspend their active search. The Sitka community mourned the loss, and Mills was remembered at the annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony just days after the search was called off. His wife and daughter were in attendance, surrounded by supportive friends and community members. The case remains open, and Jesse Mills is presumed to have perished at sea.
Last Seen: Apr 6, 2016
