Gary Edwards Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

May 07, 2024

Gary

Edwards

66

46

74 inches

210 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

On January 15, 2005, a date that marked the opening of the opilio crab season, 46-year-old Gary J. Edwards was the skipper of the F/V Big Valley, a 92-foot crab fishing vessel based out of Kodiak, Alaska. Early that morning, while in the frigid Bering Sea approximately 70 miles west of Saint Paul Island, the vessel tragically capsized and sank. The sinking happened suddenly, with the only survivor later recounting being jolted awake in his bunk as the boat rolled onto its side. Gary, along with four other crew members—Aaron J. Marrs, Josias Luna, Danny Vermeersch, and Carlos Rivero—were lost to the sea. No mayday call was ever made; the first alert to authorities was the automatic activation of the vessel's Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) at around 7:15 a.m. An extensive search and rescue operation was immediately launched by the U.S. Coast Guard, joined by several other fishing vessels from the fleet. A Coast Guard helicopter eventually spotted a life raft and rescued the sole survivor, Cache Seel. The bodies of two other crewmen, Carlos Rivero and Danny Vermeersch, were recovered from the water; both were wearing survival suits. Despite a three-day search effort, Gary Edwards and the two remaining crew members, Aaron Marrs and Josias Luna, were never found. The survivor recalled the frantic and chaotic final moments of the Big Valley, being thrown about as the vessel was overcome by the waves before he was able to find the life raft after spending significant time in the water. A subsequent investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard concluded that the primary cause of the sinking was a loss of stability due to severe overloading. The Big Valley was carrying 50 to 55 crab pots, each weighing around 700 pounds, which was substantially more than the 31 pots specified in its stability letter. The vessel was also loaded with 13,000 pounds of bait, far exceeding the 5,000-pound limit. This excess weight, stacked high on the deck, dangerously raised the ship's center of gravity, making it vulnerable to the harsh conditions of the Bering Sea. The case of Gary Edwards and the Big Valley stands as a somber reminder of the immense dangers faced by those in the commercial fishing industry. The tragedy highlighted critical safety issues, particularly regarding vessel loading practices, and contributed to regulatory changes aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future. The loss deeply affected the close-knit community of Kodiak, which later established memorials to honor the skipper and his lost crew.

Jan 15, 2005

Kodiak

Alaska

Kodiak Island Borough

No

77757

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

050003785

2005-01-15

Alaska State Troopers

8583

Brown

Blue

Blue

07/09/2026