Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP66701)
Robert Leo Mccord, a 35-year-old observer, was last seen on March 22, 1990, aboard the fishing trawler Aleutian Enterprise, which operated out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. On that day, the 142-foot fish processing vessel capsized and sank in the Bering Sea, approximately 60 miles south of Saint Paul Island. Of the 31 people on board, 22 crew members were rescued from the water and life rafts by multiple vessels that responded to the distress call.
Mccord, along with eight other individuals, was lost at sea.
The sinking of the Aleutian Enterprise occurred shortly after the crew attempted to haul a large net filled with cod up the stern ramp. The net broke, spilling a massive quantity of fish onto the deck, which caused the vessel to list heavily to one side. With the cargo holds already near capacity, the ship's stability was compromised. Water then began to flood the processing deck through side openings that were not fitted with watertight closures. This progressive flooding led to the vessel capsizing and sinking within minutes, at around 1:40 p.m., in about 400 feet of water.
Investigations following the disaster revealed significant safety failings on the Aleutian Enterprise. The U.S. Coast Guard found that the vessel did not have a required load line assigned to it and that hull openings lacked proper watertight fittings. Survivors testified that there had been a lack of safety training and that they had not conducted adequate abandon ship drills. Emergency exits were reportedly blocked, and survival suits were stored in areas that became inaccessible as the ship was sinking. The captain was faulted for not issuing a timely order to abandon ship. The company that operated the vessel, Arctic Alaska Fisheries Corp., and some of its officials later faced legal consequences, with several pleading guilty to charges that included negligence and lying to federal officials.
Robert Mccord, who was from Englewood, Colorado, was one of nine people who perished in the incident. The others lost were crewmembers Nelo Marciel, John Dieterich, Joseph Alaimo, Robert Davis Jr., Jeffrey Houston, Javier Valenzuela, Matthew Schneider, and a passenger, David Jefferies. A subsequent search by the Coast Guard and other fishing vessels in the area failed to find any of the missing individuals, who are all presumed dead.Last Seen: Mar 22, 1990
