Joseph Spink Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

Mar 06, 2024

Joseph

Spink

42

23

70 inches

175 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the vast and often unforgiving waters of Alaska, a young man named Joseph Daniel Spink, just 23 years old, vanished on September 21, 2004. He was working as the deck captain aboard the fishing vessel Jeanoah in the Gulf of Alaska, approximately 45 miles southeast of Old Harbor, a small community on Kodiak Island. It was from this remote and rugged location that Joseph was reported to have fallen overboard, swept into the cold, turbulent sea. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing orange Guy Cotton rain pants, a yellow Grundens rain jacket, and boots, with a knife belt secured around his waist. An extensive search of the area was launched in the hopes of finding him, but tragically, these efforts were unsuccessful in locating the young fisherman. Joseph, known to his friends and family as Joe, was originally from New York and had also lived in Indiana and Florida before the allure of Alaska brought him to Kodiak three years prior to the incident. He was described as a white male with blond or strawberry blond hair and blue eyes, standing at five feet ten inches tall and weighing around 175 pounds. His life was one of adventure and hard work, drawn to the demanding life of a commercial fisherman in one of the world's most challenging environments. His disappearance sent ripples of grief through his family, including his mother, Marlene Wolfal Lambert, his father and stepmother, Charles Daniel and Dawn Spink, and his siblings, who were left with the profound pain of his loss at sea. The case of Joseph Spink is a somber reminder of the perils faced by those who make their living on the open ocean. Despite the immediate search efforts and the passage of time, he has never been found. He is presumed to have drowned in the frigid Alaskan waters. A memorial service was held for him later that year, acknowledging the heartbreaking reality that the sea had claimed him. The official circumstances of his disappearance are recorded as having fallen overboard, and with no further evidence or recovery, the case remains a painful and unresolved loss for his loved ones, a testament to the unforgiving nature of the sea and the inherent risks of a life lived in its embrace.

Sep 21, 2004

Kodiak

Alaska

Kodiak Island Borough

No

77535

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

040075637

2004-09-21

Alaska State Troopers

8592

Blond/Strawberry

Blue

Blue

06/26/2026