In the summer of 1995, a 42-year-old man named Paul A. Johnston was in Dillingham, Alaska. On August 14th of that year, he was aboard the vessel P/V Coastal Star in the area of Port Moller. It was on this day that the last contact with Johnston was made. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance point to a tragic accident at sea. He was wearing a flannel shirt and Levi jeans at the time he was last seen. Johnston has distinctive scars on his head and right finger. His case is being handled by the Alaska State Troopers.
The official theory surrounding Paul Johnston's disappearance is that he fell from the P/V Coastal Star and is presumed to have drowned in the waters of Port Moller. The investigation into his disappearance was opened by the Alaska State Troopers, and his case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System on March 17, 2020. Despite the passage of time, his case remains open, a somber testament to the dangers that can be present in the Alaskan waters.
The disappearance of Paul A. Johnston is a long-standing mystery in the Dillingham area. With no recovery of his remains, the presumption that he fell overboard and drowned remains the only explanation for his sudden vanishing. The lack of further information or witnesses has left his case with few leads for investigators to follow over the years. The vast and often unforgiving nature of the Alaskan wilderness and its surrounding waters can make finding a missing person an incredibly difficult task. The overview of this case is one of a presumed accidental death at sea, a conclusion drawn from the circumstances of his last known location and the absence of any evidence to suggest otherwise.
Last Seen: Aug 14, 1995
