Jason Nowpakahok Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

Jan 12, 2024

Jason

Nowpakahok

59

38

70 inches

185 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

In the pre-dawn hours of April 27, 2005, a tragic event unfolded in the frigid waters of the Bering Sea, forever altering the community of Gambell, Alaska. Jason Nowpakahok, a 38-year-old male from Nome, was the respected captain of a whaling crew and the mayor of Gambell. He and his crew were participating in the generations-old tradition of the Siberian Yupik people: the spring bowhead whale hunt. This vital subsistence activity is deeply woven into the cultural fabric of the St. Lawrence Island village. On this particular hunt, Nowpakahok was accompanied by his 11-year-old daughter, Yolanda Nowpakahok, and his 11-year-old nephew, Leonard Nowpakahok. The crew had successfully harpooned a bowhead whale and were in the process of towing the massive catch back to shore, an event that is usually a time of celebration and provision for the entire village. The journey home took a devastating turn when their skin-covered whaling boat capsized in high seas approximately 5 to 7 miles offshore, west of Gambell, around 2 a.m. The darkness and the tumultuous water created a perilous situation for everyone on board. A rescue effort was quickly mounted by another whaling boat in the vicinity, which managed to pull three crewmen from the water: Davis Uglowook, 37, Darin Slwooko, 25, and James Uglowook, 20. Tragically, James Uglowook was pronounced dead at the Gambell health clinic later that morning. Despite the successful rescue of three individuals, Jason Nowpakahok, his daughter Yolanda, and his nephew Leonard could not be located in the dark and treacherous waves. The members of the whaling crew were reportedly not wearing flotation devices, a common practice as they can impede the strenuous work involved in whaling. The disappearance of Jason, Yolanda, and Leonard Nowpakahok is considered the worst whaling-related incident in recent memory for the Alaskan Native whaling communities. The small, close-knit village of about 650 people was plunged into a state of shock and grief. The loss was profound, not only because of the number of lives affected but also because it took the village's mayor and two young children. The tradition of including children in hunts is an age-old practice for passing down essential life skills and cultural knowledge from one generation to the next. In the aftermath, Jason, Yolanda, and Leonard are all presumed to have drowned in the Bering Sea. The incident serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the inherent dangers faced by those who rely on the sea for their sustenance and cultural identity, and the profound impact such a loss can have on a tightly woven community.

Apr 27, 2005

Nome

Alaska

Nome Census Area

Nome

No

77627

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

050031105

2005-04-27

Alaska State Troopers

na

Black

Brown

Brown

yes

07/29/2026