George Kandris Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

Jul 23, 2024

George

Kandris

51

26

72 inches

158 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the early hours of April 2, 2001, 26-year-old George Kandris, a male crew member aboard the fishing vessel Arctic Rose, vanished along with 14 others into the frigid waters of the Bering Sea. The 92-foot vessel sank approximately 205 miles northwest of St. Paul Island, Alaska, in what would become one of the most tragic commercial fishing accidents in recent history. At the time of the sinking, the weather was treacherous, with winds gusting to 45 knots and waves reaching 24 feet. No mayday or distress call was ever received from the Arctic Rose; the only alert came from the ship's emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), which activated automatically as the vessel went down. The sudden and silent disappearance of the Arctic Rose prompted an extensive search and a high-level investigation by the United States Coast Guard. Despite their efforts, the vast and unforgiving sea yielded little evidence of the crew's fate. Search and rescue teams discovered an empty life raft, some survival suits, and an oil sheen on the water's surface, but tragically, no survivors. Only the body of the ship's captain, David Rundall, was recovered. The remaining 14 crew members, including George Kandris, were lost to the sea and are presumed dead. The investigation that followed sought to piece together the events that led to the catastrophic and rapid sinking of the vessel, which was estimated to have gone down in less than eight minutes. A subsequent Coast Guard investigation, which included locating the wreckage on the ocean floor and examining it with a remotely operated vehicle, revealed several potential contributing factors to the disaster. The investigation found that the Arctic Rose may not have been in compliance with operating instructions and that unapproved structural alterations might have compromised its stability. A video of the wreckage showed that a watertight door on the processing deck was open, which could have allowed for rapid flooding. It was also noted that many of the crew members were inexperienced and had received limited safety training. The investigation concluded that the most likely scenario was that a combination of these factors, exacerbated by the severe weather, led to the vessel taking on water and sinking with devastating speed. The loss of the Arctic Rose and its entire crew, including George Kandris, serves as a solemn reminder of the inherent dangers of commercial fishing in the unforgiving Alaskan waters.

Apr 02, 2001

Dillingham

Alaska

Dillingham Census Area

Dillingham

No

77440

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

010019662

2001-04-02

Alaska State Troopers

Brown

Brown

Brown

07/23/2026