Gunther Jose Frank was 35 when he went missing after a June 5, 2009 boating accident in Bellingham Bay. He and five others left for a sunset sail to Chuckanut Island on an 18-foot sailboat. Around the early morning hours the weather turned suddenly severe, with 40–50 mph winds. Near Clark Point the small vessel capsized in 48-degree water and all six occupants were thrown into the bay.

Four people survived; two women swam to shore to summon help and another survivor later made it to land, while the fourth was rescued from a cliff by Coast Guard responders. The capsized boat washed ashore near Post Point, a dog was found dead with the wreckage, and a piece of the rudder was found days later on Little Squalicum Beach. Despite an extensive search by the U.S. Coast Guard, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Bellingham Fire Department and U.S. Border Patrol, Gunther Frank and Sean Mansfield were never found and were presumed drowned.

Gunther was a well-known photographer in Bellingham, remembered for portraits and music photography. Does anyone have information about the evening on the bay or the people involved that could shed light on what happened?