In the harsh and unforgiving environment of the Bering Sea, 30-year-old Richard Lee Anderson, a resident of Dillingham, Alaska, vanished on January 27, 1996, along with six other crew members. He was aboard the F/V Pacesetter, a 127-foot steel-hulled crab fishing vessel, when it is believed to have capsized and sank in stormy weather. The last known communication from the vessel was on January 26, 1996. The following evening, the United States Coast Guard detected an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon signal, indicating the vessel was in distress approximately 60 to 65 miles northwest of St. George Island. This automated signal was the only distress call received from the Pacesetter.
A search and rescue operation was promptly launched by the U.S. Coast Guard, covering a vast 361-square-mile area of the Bering Sea. Early on January 28, a nearby fishing vessel discovered debris, including a life raft and a buoy float bearing the Pacesetter's name, confirming the tragic fate of the vessel. A second, partially submerged and uninflated life raft was found a couple of hours later. Despite the extensive search efforts, there was no sign of Richard Anderson or any of the other six crewmen: Captain Matthew Pope, Stephen Mack, Michael Ericson, Bryon Koesterman, Elias Pena, and Stanley Eftestad. The frigid water temperatures of the Bering Sea in late January offered little hope for survival. After two days, the Coast Guard made the difficult decision to call off the search.
The loss of the Pacesetter and its entire crew was a devastating blow to the tight-knit fishing community. A subsequent investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation concluded that the vessel likely capsized due to a combination of factors. These included the 'free surface effect' in the forward hold, an overload of crab pots, and the severe weather conditions prevalent at the time of the sinking. Richard Anderson, along with his fellow crew members, is presumed to have perished at sea. The incident remains one of the more tragic losses in the history of the Alaskan snow crab fishery, a stark reminder of the immense dangers faced by those who make their living on the treacherous waters of the Bering Sea.
Last Seen: Jan 27, 1996
