On September 20, 2004, 61-year-old Gerald Jerry Balmer of Auburn, California, was a passenger on a chartered de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver floatplane bound from Sitka to Baranof Warm Springs Lodge for a fishing trip. Also on board were Lloyd Dick Koenig of Pleasanton, California; twin brothers James and Joseph Murphy Jr., of Sequim and Bremerton, Washington; and 25-year-old pilot Erik Johnson of Sitka.

The flight left on a rainy, windy day. Because of the weather the pilot chose a longer route around the island’s northern side rather than a direct crossing of the mountainous interior. The first plane in the party landed safely, but Balmer’s aircraft never arrived. A search by the U.S. Coast Guard, Civil Air Patrol, and volunteers lasted nine days and was hampered by rugged terrain and continued poor weather; the plane’s emergency locator transmitter reportedly never sent a signal.

Weeks later small pieces of the floatplane were found along a rugged coastline, and the five people aboard are presumed to have died. If anyone was with Balmer on previous trips to the lodge or witnessed the flight that day, please share what is known.