Renee Eilleen Wade was 16 when she disappeared on a June day in 1978 while canoeing on Bear Lake, about six miles north of Seward, Alaska. She was with her foster father, Philip Fisher, and another girl when the canoe overturned; the other girl swam to shore but both Renee and Fisher vanished into the lake. Renee was described at the time as having brown hair and brown eyes.

The Alaska State Troopers investigated, and the immediate aftermath included a search, but neither Renee nor Fisher was ever found. Reports describe the official explanation as a suspected accidental drowning; the surviving girl’s account of the capsizing is the only firsthand report of what happened. The case went cold as years passed without new leads.

Anyone who remembers that day on Bear Lake or who has information that might help bring clarity to what happened is asked to come forward.