Lawrence Johnston Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

May 08, 2024

Lawrence

Johnston

68

37

72 inches

200 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the unforgiving waters of the Bering Sea, 37-year-old Lawrence "Larry" Johnston was last seen on January 15, 1995. He was a crew member aboard the F/V Northwest Mariner, a 93-foot steel crab fishing vessel. The vessel, based out of Seattle, Washington, was preparing for the opening of the Opilio crab season when tragedy struck. Along with five other crew members, all from Washington State, Johnston was approximately 120 nautical miles northwest of Saint Paul Island when the boat capsized. The crew was known to be experienced and skilled in the dangerous trade of crab fishing, well-aware of the risks that came with their profession in the treacherous Bering Sea. The F/V Northwest Mariner sent out a brief mayday call before it was lost, prompting an immediate response from other vessels in the area and a search and rescue mission by the U.S. Coast Guard. Weather conditions were severe, with reports of 40-knot winds and 24-foot seas at the time of the incident. A life raft was discovered with two men aboard, but tragically, they were hypothermic and could not be revived. These men were later identified as Bob Peterson and Troy Collins. The overturned vessel was also located and identified as the Northwest Mariner. Despite the extensive search efforts, Lawrence Johnston and three other crew members, Bruce Forde, James "Jim" Foster, and Robert "Rob" Olson, were never found. The loss of the Northwest Mariner and its crew sent a wave of grief through the tight-knit fishing community. A memorial service was held at Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal, where the names of the six men were to be added to the monument for fishermen lost at sea. For the families of the four men who were never recovered, the lack of closure compounded their sorrow. The investigation into the capsizing was hampered by the absence of the vessel and any witnesses, leaving the exact cause of the tragedy unknown. The case of Lawrence Johnston is a somber reminder of the perils faced by those who make their living on the sea, and his disappearance, along with his fellow crewmen, remains an unresolved loss for their loved ones and the maritime community.

Jan 15, 1995

Bering Sea

Alaska

Dillingham Census Area

No

77735

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

950003911

1995-01-16

Alaska State Troopers

Brown

Brown

Brown

07/20/2026