Chad Rawls Missing Person Case

Mar 11, 2020

Apr 11, 2024

Chad

Rawls

40

23

72 inches

233 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

On July 28, 2007, 23-year-old Chad Wayne Rawls set out on a journey that would end in tragedy and unanswered questions. He, along with three other men, departed from Igiugig, Alaska, around midnight. Their destination was the village of Kakhonok, a 40-mile trip across the vast and often treacherous Lake Iliamna. The group, which included Chad, Clinton Abarca, 26, Lance Hobson, 26, and Vince Rickteroff, 19, was traveling by skiff, a small, open boat. The journey was expected to be relatively short, but as the hours turned into days, it became clear that something had gone terribly wrong. Concerns grew when the skiff failed to arrive in Kakhonok, and authorities were alerted that the men were overdue. An immediate aerial search was launched over Alaska's largest lake. On July 30, searchers located a capsized boat with a lone survivor, Lance Hobson, clinging to the top. Hobson recounted a harrowing story of how the boat's anchor accidentally fell and caught on the lakebed, causing the skiff to flip at least twice in the stormy, frigid waters. He told rescuers that after the boat capsized, he and his friends were all together, clinging to the overturned vessel and praying. Tragically, the group eventually separated. The following day, on July 31, the body of Vince Rickteroff was found floating in the lake, kept afloat by a personal flotation device. Despite an extensive search effort that included multiple aircraft and boats scouring the shoreline, Chad Rawls and Clinton Abarca were never found. The active search was eventually called off, with authorities presuming both men had perished in the cold waters of Lake Iliamna. The incident stands as a somber reminder of the unforgiving nature of the Alaskan wilderness. The family of Chad Rawls remembered him as a big-hearted and generous young man, a natural mechanic who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and boating, and was always willing to help others in his community. The case remains a painful open wound for the families of the missing men, an overview of a journey that began with friends setting out on an adventure and ended in a devastating loss that left a community in mourning.

Jul 28, 2007

Igiugig

Alaska

Lake and Peninsula Borough

No

77058

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

070064370

2007-07-29

Alaska State Troopers

8512

Brown

Brown

Brown

No

07/06/2026