Debra L. Otis was 18 when she vanished from Pass Island in Deception Pass, Washington, in the summer of 1979. She was described as American Indian / Alaska Native, with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing gold-framed glasses, a yellow swimsuit, light blue bell-bottom pants, and a dark blue sweater the day she disappeared on June 28. She had been on the island with her boyfriend; no other witnesses to her final moments are reported and details about what they were doing that day are unclear.

Skagit County Sheriff’s Office classifies the case as lost/injured missing, indicating authorities consider the possibility of an accident or succumbing to the elements amid the island’s dense woods, rocky shoreline, and powerful tidal currents. The initial search and specific investigative steps are not well documented publicly, and few leads have emerged over the years. If anyone was on or near Pass Island that day or has information about Debra’s last known movements, please come forward.