On December 8, 2004, 44-year-old crewman Dildar Singh disappeared during the Selendang Ayu disaster off Unalaska Island in the Aleutians. The Malaysian-flagged bulk carrier had suffered a catastrophic engine failure and drifted for more than 40 hours in severe winds and seas before running aground and breaking in two. The ship was carrying soybeans from Seattle to Xiamen and had 26 people aboard.

Coast Guard helicopters began evacuating the crew; 18 were airlifted. As a Jayhawk was hoisting the final group, a rogue wave struck, the helicopter’s engines flamed out, and it crashed into the sea. Six crewmen, including Singh, were lost and never recovered despite an extensive search covering 227 miles of coastline and 550 square miles of ocean. The search was suspended after three days. The wreck also spilled about 350,000 gallons of fuel and diesel, affecting coastline and wildlife.

If anyone knew Singh or has information about his final voyage, please share what is known.