Michael J. Sharp was 33 when he vanished during a hunting trip in western Alaska. He left Quinhagak on October 17, 2020, in a 20-foot aluminum skiff headed for seal hunting. The boat stopped in Bethel where additional people joined; the party of seven was last seen on October 20, 2020, near the mouth of the Eek River on Eek Island after fueling in the village of Eek.

The group traveled in a 22-foot welded aluminum boat powered by a Yamaha outboard. A multi-agency search followed, with the Alaska State Troopers coordinating alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, which used a C-130 and an MH-60 Jayhawk. Volunteers from nearby villages also took part. Search efforts were limited by worsening weather, dropping temperatures, the impending freeze-up, and COVID-19 quarantine restrictions. Some debris was recovered — gas tanks, a bucket, a personal flotation device, and a glove — but none could be confirmed as belonging to the missing boaters.

With no confirmed wreckage or bodies found, the community treats the group as likely lost to the water, but many unanswered questions remain. If anyone saw the boat or the party around October 20, 2020, information could still be helpful.