George Kandris was 26 and serving as a crew member aboard the fishing vessel Arctic Rose when the 92-foot boat sank in the early hours of April 2, 2001, about 205 miles northwest of St. Paul Island, Alaska. The Bering Sea that night produced winds up to 45 knots and waves to 24 feet. No mayday was received; the ship’s emergency position-indicating radio beacon activated as the vessel disappeared.

Search and rescue teams recovered an empty life raft, some survival suits and an oil sheen, and only the captain’s body was found. The other 14 crew members, including Kandris, were lost and presumed dead. A Coast Guard investigation later located the wreck and reported possible contributing factors: unapproved structural alterations, a watertight door on the processing deck found open on video, limited crew safety training and questions about compliance with operating instructions. The sinking was estimated to have taken less than eight minutes.

Did anyone have contact with George Kandris in the days before the Arctic Rose sailed?