Christopher Hofer Missing Person Case

Jan 01, 1970

Jan 01, 1970

Christopher

Hofer

27

White / Caucasian

Male

In the summer of 1985, a 27-year-old man from Fort Collins, Colorado, named Christopher Hofer, was in Kodiak, Alaska, working as a deckhand. He was part of the crew on the F/V Western Sea, a 58-foot wooden seine boat getting ready for the salmon season. On August 15, 1985, Christopher was last seen as the vessel departed from Kodiak. The Western Sea, with its crew, headed into the waters of Marmot Bay, which lies between Kodiak and Afognak Islands, and was never heard from again. At the time of his disappearance, Christopher was described as being 6 feet tall, weighing approximately 155 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Concerns for the safety of the Western Sea and its crew arose on August 20, 1985. Another fishing vessel traversing Marmot Bay made a grim discovery: the body of 20-year-old crew member Peter Barry floating in the water. This initiated a search by the U.S. Coast Guard. The search efforts led to the recovery of two more bodies, those of the skipper, Jerald Bouchard, who was 58, and another deckhand, 25-year-old Stewart Darling. Despite the search, Christopher Hofer and another deckhand, 24-year-old Bill Posey from Anchorage, were never found. Later, wreckage from the Western Sea was located east of Long Island, confirming the vessel had sunk. An investigation into the sinking of the F/V Western Sea revealed troubling details about the 70-year-old vessel's condition. The investigation concluded that the boat was significantly lacking in essential safety equipment; it did not have a life raft, survival suits for the crew, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), or an emergency pump. It was also reported that a crew member had quit just before the boat's final trip due to fears about the vessel's condition and his own safety. The official cause of the Western Sea's sinking has never been determined. The case, managed by the Alaska State Troopers, is a somber reminder of the perils of the sea and the critical importance of maritime safety regulations, which were less stringent at the time of the incident. Christopher Hofer is presumed to have died when the fishing vessel sank.

Aug 15, 1985

Kodiak

Alaska

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07/26/2026