Wilson Wassillie Missing Person Case

Nov 18, 2020

Feb 23, 2024

Wilson

Wassillie

39

34

68 inches

140 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

In the autumn of 2020, a sense of unease settled over the community of Quinhagak, a small village on the coast of the Kuskokwim Bay in Alaska. On October 20th, 34-year-old Wilson "Willie" Wassillie, along with six other individuals, embarked on a boat journey from Quinhagak. The group, which included Chad Chadwick, Neal Gutleben, Alexie Nose, Michael Sharp, Bernice Waska, and Elizabeth Wassillie, was traveling in a 22-foot welded aluminum boat. Their vessel was last seen near the mouth of the Eek River, a place familiar to the local residents. The initial purpose of their trip was reported as a seal hunting expedition, a common practice for subsistence and tradition in the region. However, as the days passed with no word from the seven boaters, concern mounted within their families and the close-knit community. An extensive search and rescue operation was launched, involving multiple agencies and volunteers from surrounding communities. The Alaska State Troopers and the U.S. Coast Guard spearheaded the official efforts, scouring the vast and unforgiving waters of the Kuskokwim Bay and the coastline of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region for four days. Searchers from Quinhagak, Eek, Kongiganak, and Platinum also joined the effort, demonstrating the communal spirit of the region in times of crisis. Despite their exhaustive efforts by air, water, and land, no sign of the missing boat or the seven individuals was found. The search was further complicated by the onset of harsh weather, with dropping temperatures and the formation of ice, which made conditions treacherous for the search parties. Some debris was recovered during the search, including fuel tanks, a bucket, a personal flotation device, and a glove, but it could not be confirmed if these items belonged to the missing boaters. As the days turned into weeks with no new leads, the official search was eventually suspended. The decision to call off an active search is always a difficult one, made after careful consideration of survival probabilities. For the families of Wilson Wassillie and the other six missing individuals, the suspension of the search marked a painful shift from hope for rescue to a prolonged and uncertain period of waiting. The disappearance of the seven boaters left a profound void in their community, a stark reminder of the inherent dangers of life in the Alaskan wilderness. The case remains open, a somber and unresolved tragedy that continues to weigh heavily on the hearts of those who knew and loved them.

Oct 20, 2020

Quinhagak

Alaska

Bethel Census Area

No

95338

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

AK20078884

2020-10-21

Alaska State Troopers

6868

Black

Brown

Brown

07/17/2026