Chad Chadwick Missing Person Case

Nov 18, 2020

Feb 23, 2024

Chad

Chadwick

41

37

70 inches

175 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

In the autumn of 2020, a group of seven individuals, including 37-year-old Chad Edward Chadwick, embarked on what should have been a routine seal hunting trip, a traditional and vital activity for their community in Quinhagak, Alaska. On October 20, 2020, Chadwick, along with Neal Gutleben, Alexie Nose, Michael Sharp, Bernice Waska, Elizabeth Wassillie, and Wilson Wassillie, were traveling by boat from Quinhagak. The group was last seen together near the mouth of the Eek River, after which they vanished without a trace. The party was traveling in a 20-foot open-hulled aluminum skiff, a vessel that would carry them into a mystery that has left their community heartbroken and searching for answers. The journey began on October 17, 2020, when three members of the group departed from the village of Quinhagak in the skiff. They traveled to the community of Bethel to pick up the other four individuals, including Chadwick, before setting out for their hunting expedition. Their boat was equipped with a 60-horsepower Yamaha outboard motor. The group's last known location was on Eek Island on October 20th. When the hunting party failed to return as expected, concern mounted, and on October 21, 2020, they were reported as overdue to the Alaska State Troopers, officially launching a search and investigation into their disappearance. Extensive search and rescue operations were quickly initiated, involving multiple agencies and local communities. The U.S. Coast Guard deployed a C-130 airplane and a Jayhawk helicopter, scouring the vast and unforgiving landscape of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region and the waters around Nunivak Island. Searchers from the nearby communities of Eek, Kongiganak, and Platinum also joined the effort, demonstrating the tight-knit nature of the region. The search was hampered by challenging weather conditions, with temperatures dropping and ice beginning to form on the water. Despite the tireless efforts of all involved, the official search by the Coast Guard was suspended after four days, and local searches were paused due to the increasingly hazardous conditions. Over the course of the search, some debris was found, including fuel tanks, a bucket, a glove, and a personal flotation device, but it could not be confirmed if these items belonged to the missing boaters. To this day, the seven individuals and their boat have never been located, and they are presumed to have drowned in a tragic accident at sea. The case remains a painful and unresolved loss for their families and the entire community, a stark reminder of the perils of life in the Alaskan wilderness.

Oct 20, 2020

Quinhagak

Alaska

Bethel Census Area

No

95331

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

6869

Black

Brown

Brown

07/08/2026