Tom John Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

Jun 25, 2024

Tom

John

68

59

66 inches

170 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

In the vast and often unforgiving landscape of western Alaska, the disappearance of 59-year-old Tom John John left a community grappling with uncertainty. On the morning of March 26, 2017, a day marked by clear, sunny skies and calm waters, John set out from the small Bering Sea village of Newtok to do what he had done countless times before: hunt for seals. An experienced hunter of Yupik descent, John was deeply familiar with the traditional methods passed down by his father. For this outing, however, he was using a new red and yellow fiberglass single-person kayak for the first time, a departure from the canvas-covered wooden kayaks he typically preferred. He was last seen wearing a black jacket and black pants as he embarked on his hunting trip. Concern mounted when John did not return as expected. The following day, Alaska State Troopers in Bethel received a report that he was overdue. A search was promptly initiated, involving a significant coordinated effort between the Rescue Coordination Center, the Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and local search parties from the village. Searchers on the ground made a discovery that only deepened the mystery: John's Arctic Cat snow machine and other equipment were found at the edge of the ice, about eighteen miles west of Newtok. Next to his belongings was a seal carcass, a sign of a successful hunt, but there was no trace of John or his new kayak. Despite the extensive ground, air, and water searches that canvassed the area, no further signs of Tom John John or his kayak were ever found. The favorable weather conditions on the day of his disappearance made his vanishing all the more baffling. With no other leads or evidence to suggest what might have happened, authorities and his community were left to presume that he was lost at sea. The case remains a poignant reminder of the inherent risks of life in the Alaskan wilderness, even for the most seasoned individuals. The disappearance of a man so skilled in the ways of the land and sea serves as a somber overview of how quickly circumstances can change in the remote and powerful environment he called home.

Mar 26, 2017

Bethel

Alaska

Bethel Census Area

No

77457

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

AK17019553

2017-03-27

Alaska State Troopers

8319

Black

Brown

Brown

07/19/2026