Brian Robert Rudolph was 19 when he vanished from the deck of the 165-foot longline halibut vessel Yukon Queen on September 2, 1996, while working in Dillingham, Alaska. Eyewitnesses say he was wearing orange rain gear and was suddenly swept overboard, becoming entangled in the longline gear’s end anchor and pulled into the water.

The crew reported the incident to the Alaska State Troopers on September 3, 1996, and a search followed but did not recover him. The case is recorded with maritime loss records and missing person databases, and remains a tragic example of commercial fishing dangers in Alaskan waters.

Anyone who knew Brian, worked on the Yukon Queen, or has information about that day is asked to share what they remember.