Colin Buness, 25, disappeared during a solo kayaking and hiking trip in Southeast Alaska that began June 19, 2012. A University of Alaska Anchorage student and an Army National Guard sergeant from the Ketchikan area, he was traveling the Kikahe and Stikine Rivers and carried a SPOT GPS locator. The device transmitted normally until the morning of June 22, 2012, when signals stopped and his location became unknown.

Search teams covered the rugged terrain where he was last tracked through the end of June. Searchers recovered his pack, an overturned raft and other personal items in the upper West Forks Katete River area, evidence that his raft likely capsized. Colin was not found. An obituary published in early July 2012 reflected the community’s understanding that he had likely been lost in the wilderness.

Anyone who knew Colin, his route, or saw signs of his trip in late June 2012 is asked to come forward with information.