Account
Apr 15, 2010
Mar 19, 2024
Bryce
Herda
36
6
48 inches
60 lbs
American Indian / Alaska Native
Male
On a spring day, April 9, 1995, six-year-old Bryce Florian Herda was enjoying a family outing on the picturesque and remote Shi Shi Beach, located on the Makah Indian Reservation in Neah Bay, Washington. He was with a group of eight children and one adult. Bryce, a young boy of Native American and Caucasian descent, was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, green pants, white socks, and a pair of red and black Power Ranger shoes adorned with a lightning bolt on the side. He had sandy brown hair, brown eyes, and several distinguishing marks: a scar near his hairline on the right side of his forehead, a freckle on his right temple, and a tan-colored birthmark on the back of his upper leg. The day took a turn when part of the group decided to ascend a steep trail from the beach. Bryce, unable to make the climb, was told to wait on the beach for their return. When they came back, he was gone. The moments following Bryce’s disappearance were filled with urgency and a rapidly growing sense of dread. His grandfather was the chief of police in the area, which allowed for a swift and extensive search to be launched within 45 minutes of him being reported missing. The initial search involved about 30 people, and quickly expanded to include the Coast Guard, helicopters, divers, rock climbers, and dog teams. For a week, hundreds of volunteers and personnel from various agencies, including the U.S. Air Force, combed the rugged coastline and surrounding areas. Searchers discovered a set of a child's footprints that seemed to start and stop intermittently, adding to the mystery. Scent dogs reportedly picked up a trail about a mile north of where he was last seen, but this lead ultimately went nowhere. After a week of intensive searching failed to yield any sign of the young boy, the official search was called off, though his family continued their desperate efforts. The years since Bryce Herda's disappearance have been marked by a painful absence of answers for his family and community. Several theories have been considered, but none have been substantiated with evidence. Law enforcement has considered the possibility that he was swept out to sea by the powerful coastal waves, a tragic accident in a wild and unpredictable environment. However, his body was never recovered. Bryce's parents have long held the belief that he was abducted, a fear compounded by the fact that no trace of him or his clothing was ever found. The existence of a nearby trail leading to a homeless community at the time was noted, but no conclusive link was ever established. The case of Bryce Herda remains an open and unsolved missing person investigation, a haunting story of a little boy who vanished from a remote beach, leaving behind only questions and an enduring sense of loss.
Apr 09, 1995
Neah Bay
Washington
Clallam County
Yes
26623
Makah Tribal Police Department
Neah Bay
Washington
Clallam County
98357
113 Waadah View Street, Washington
3606452701
Tribal
Law Enforcement
95-2759
1995-04-09
Makah Tribal Police Department
Sandy
Brown
Brown
06/20/2026
