Daniel Wright Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

May 09, 2024

Daniel

Wright

56

27

68 inches

145 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the cold waters of Alaska, a story of a man lost at sea has endured for decades, leaving a family without answers and a community with a lingering sense of sorrow. Daniel James Wright, a 27-year-old man, vanished on February 17, 1997, from the fishing vessel 'VIS' near Excursion Inlet, a remote area surrounded by the rugged Alaskan wilderness. On that fateful day, Daniel, known as Dan to his friends and family, was working on the boat when he was reportedly pulled overboard by a crab pot line. The vast and unforgiving sea quickly enveloped him, leaving no trace behind. He was last seen wearing orange rain gear and tan rubber boots, clothing that speaks to the hardworking life of a fisherman in the northern Pacific. The immediate aftermath of the incident sparked a search, but the challenging conditions and the sheer expanse of the Alaskan waters rendered the efforts unsuccessful. Daniel was a man in the prime of his life, with brown hair and hazel eyes, standing at 68 inches tall and weighing around 145 pounds. His sudden disappearance left a void in the lives of those who knew him, a void that has been compounded by the lack of closure. The official report, filed with the Alaska State Troopers, paints a stark picture of a young man tragically lost to the perils of his profession. The case, now decades old, serves as a somber reminder of the dangers faced by those who make their living on the unpredictable Alaskan seas. Over the years, Daniel's case has remained open, a cold case held in the files of the Alaska State Troopers. He is presumed to be deceased, but his body has never been recovered, a painful reality for his loved ones. The lack of new information has left the investigation at a standstill, yet the hope for some form of resolution, however small, remains. The incident near Excursion Inlet is a stark illustration of how quickly a life can be lost in the vastness of nature, particularly in a place as wild and untamed as Alaska. The overview of this case is one of sudden and tragic loss, a fisherman's life cut short by the very sea that provided his livelihood, leaving behind a story of a man who went to work one day and never returned.

Feb 17, 1997

Juneau

Alaska

Juneau Borough

No

77330

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

970011136

1997-02-17

Alaska State Troopers

8796

Brown

Hazel

Hazel

07/16/2026