Thomas Grant Hadwin, 47, disappeared in February 1997 after attempting to kayak from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, toward Alaska. His last confirmed sighting was on February 14, about 25 miles north of Prince Rupert. Hadwin had been arrested and released on bail after admitting he cut down a 300-year-old Golden Spruce on Haida Gwaii; he was due in court in Masset on February 18 and chose to kayak across the Hecate Strait rather than travel by ferry or plane.

Hadwin set out on February 11, turned back in a storm, and set out again on February 13. Wreckage from his kayak and some equipment were found on Mary Island in June 1997, about 70 miles northwest of Prince Rupert, prompting authorities to presume he had drowned. Unusual details at the site, including his axe being found above the high-tide line, and his known wilderness skills have led to ongoing speculation that he might have staged his death or that foul play was involved. The Alaska State Troopers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police list the case as open.

Did anyone in the area at the time see Hadwin’s kayak or notice anything unusual along the Mary Island shoreline?