Hunter Nathaniel Lewis, 21, disappeared from the Humboldt County, California coast after leaving Trinidad Harbor in a 15-foot green fiberglass canoe sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on December 30, 2021. An aerospace engineering student home for the holidays, Lewis was an experienced outdoorsman with a pilot’s license and scuba certification. He was undertaking a solo leg of an elaborate treasure hunt he had designed; he was last seen paddling south, reportedly toward Flatiron Rock to hide the final clues.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office searched a wide area before suspending the official rescue and treating the operation as a recovery. On January 1, 2022 a broken piece of his canoe washed ashore north of Elk Head; additional canoe debris and a wooden bucket tied to the treasure hunt were later found. It is suspected the canoe may have struck a shallow, rocky reef near Flatiron Rock and that Lewis, likely not wearing a wetsuit, did not survive the cold water. The Sheriff’s Office maintains an open case and volunteers continue beach searches.

If anyone saw a small green canoe or activity near Flatiron Rock on December 30, 2021, please share what was seen with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.