Thomas Patrick Dowd was 30 when he disappeared on December 12, 1996, after the fishing vessel Oceanic sank near Veta Bay and Baker Island in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area. He was last seen in the North Pacific; the official presumption is that he drowned when the Oceanic went down.

Dowd was described as White/Caucasian, 6 feet 4 inches tall, about 190 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. The Alaska State Troopers list his case as open and unresolved.

Anyone who sailed with Dowd or who was working in the Veta Bay or Baker Island area in December 1996 and may recall the Oceanic or its crew is asked to come forward with information.