James Mills was a 23-year-old crew member aboard the 92-foot trawler Arctic Rose when the vessel vanished in the Bering Sea on April 2, 2001. The ship went down about 205 miles northwest of St. Paul Island while harvesting rock sole; the EPIRB activated but no mayday or other communication was sent. The Coast Guard’s search found a debris field, oil sheen and an empty life raft, and recovered only the captain’s body.

A ROV survey later showed a watertight door to the processing space and a guillotine closure for a discharge chute were left open, which investigators said would have allowed catastrophic flooding and likely caused the vessel to sink in less than two minutes. The inquiry also noted possible unapproved structural changes and an inexperienced crew. If anyone knew James Mills, his shipboard duties, or the Arctic Rose’s operations, please share what might help explain how this happened.