In the vast and serene waters of Prince William Sound, near Whittier, Alaska, a fishing trip with friends took a tragic turn, leaving a family with unanswered questions. On August 21, 2021, 60-year-old Victor Hugo Moreno, a resident of Palmer, was enjoying time on a 26-foot Cuddy Cabin boat in Surprise Cove. He was last seen around midnight on the vessel. The following morning, as the sun rose around 6:00 a.m., his companions discovered that he was no longer on the boat and was missing.
It is presumed that he fell overboard into the cold Alaskan waters. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a green jacket, a green hoodie, a green vest over a green shirt, gray and dark green pants, and brown Xtra Tuff rubber boots.
Immediate efforts to locate him began as the Cordova Police Department was alerted to the situation, who then reported it to the Sector Anchorage watchstanders. The United States Coast Guard quickly launched a search and rescue operation in the area of Surprise Cove and Cochrane Bay, approximately 10 nautical miles east of Whittier. The extensive search involved a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and two 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crews from Coast Guard Station Valdez. Over the course of more than 13 hours, these dedicated crews covered an area of approximately 325 square nautical miles in their efforts to find any sign of Victor. Despite their thorough and prolonged search, they were unable to locate him. The active search was suspended in the evening, a difficult decision acknowledged by the Sector Anchorage command duty officer who offered his condolences to those affected.
Victor Hugo Moreno was a man who had built a life in Alaska after moving to the United States from Bogota, Colombia, in the early 1990s. A professional chef by trade in South America, he later transitioned to construction work upon his arrival in Alaska. For the five years preceding his disappearance, he worked as a Special Projects Supervisor for Hope Community Resources. He was a beloved husband to his wife of 15 years, Sherry, and a father to two daughters and a stepdaughter. An obituary noted his love for cooking for family and friends, traveling with his wife, and going on fishing trips. The family expressed their gratitude to the Alaska Dive Search Rescue & Recovery Team, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Alaska State Troopers for their search efforts. Though he has not been recovered, his family holds onto the hope of one day bringing him home. The case remains classified as a lost/injured missing person, a somber reminder of the unforgiving nature of the sea and the enduring pain of a loss without closure.Last Seen: Aug 21, 2021
