In the spring of 1978, a group of five men set out on a boating trip from Hydaburg to Craig, Alaska, a journey that would tragically be their last. Among them was 31-year-old Delbert L. Kelley, a resident of Prince of Wales. He was joined by Verne Edenshaw Jr., Glenn Cook, Victor Burgess, and William Hamilton Jr. The group was last seen on May 6, 1978, at the Waterfall Resort, which is located approximately 15 miles from their destination of Craig.
The alarm was presumably raised when the men failed to arrive in Craig and could not be contacted, prompting a search of the waters they were known to have been traversing.
The search for the five missing men yielded grim findings that pointed towards a boating accident. One of the two skiffs the group was traveling in was discovered submerged near Cruz Island in San Alberto Bay. The second skiff was found tied to a rock in Canoe Pass. These discoveries led to the heartbreaking presumption that all five men had drowned. Despite search efforts, none of the men's bodies were ever recovered, leaving their families with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss that has endured for decades. The official consensus from authorities is that the men were victims of a tragic accident at sea.
The disappearance of Delbert Kelley and his four companions remains a somber event in the history of the Prince of Wales community. The case is a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of the Alaskan waters and the inherent risks associated with maritime travel in the region. Without any survivors or definitive evidence to suggest otherwise, the narrative of a fatal boating accident is the only explanation that has been offered. The collective loss of these five men has left an indelible mark on their families and the community, a story of a journey that ended in tragedy amidst the remote and rugged beauty of the Alaskan coastline.Last Seen: May 6, 1978
