Seth Gano Missing Person Case

Jan 07, 2020

May 06, 2024

Seth

Gano

36

31

71 inches

195 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

On the last day of 2019, 31-year-old Seth Gano was aboard the fishing vessel Scandies Rose, which departed from Kodiak, Alaska. The 130-foot crab fishing boat, was heading to the Bering Sea to start the crabbing season when it encountered treacherous weather. Around 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve, the vessel sent a mayday call before it capsized and sank approximately 2.75 miles southeast of Sutwik Island. The conditions were severe, with winds reported at 45 knots, seas up to 20 feet, and heavy freezing spray. Of the seven crew members on board, only two were rescued. Seth Gano, along with four other crew members, including the captain and his son, remain missing. The United States Coast Guard launched a massive search and rescue operation, covering 1,400 square miles over 20 hours. The effort involved multiple helicopter and airplane crews, as well as a Coast Guard cutter. Tragically, the search was suspended after exhausting all options without locating the five missing fishermen. The two survivors were found in a life raft, wearing survival suits, and were treated for hypothermia. Investigators later determined that the probable cause of the sinking was a combination of factors, including inaccurate vessel stability instructions, the significant accumulation of ice on the vessel and the crab pots on deck, and severe weather conditions. A report from the National Transportation Safety Board indicated that the ice accumulation could have been between 6 and 15 inches, which would have raised the vessel's center of gravity and drastically reduced its stability. The loss of the Scandies Rose and its crew deeply impacted the tight-knit fishing community. In the years following the tragedy, debris from the vessel, including buoys marked with the ship's identification, began to wash ashore, bringing a form of closure to some of the families. The owners of the Scandies Rose reached a settlement of over $9 million with the two survivors and the families of four of the crew members who were lost. The incident served as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by commercial fishermen in Alaskan waters and led to recommendations for improving safety measures, including more accurate stability instructions that account for ice accumulation on fishing gear and better weather forecasting. The case of Seth Gano and the other four missing crewmen is a somber tale of lives lost at sea, highlighting the unpredictable and perilous nature of their profession.

Dec 31, 2019

Kodiak

Alaska

Kodiak Island Borough

No

70666

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

AK20000206

2019-12-31

Alaska State Troopers

7680

Brown

Gray

Gray

06/28/2026