Matthew Thomas Pope, 33, was last seen January 27, 1996, aboard the fishing vessel Pacesetter when it sank about 60 miles southeast of St. George Island in the Bering Sea. He was one of seven crew members who vanished with the vessel in harsh Alaskan winter conditions; the others were Stanley Eftestad, Michael Ericson, Bryon Koesterman, Stephen Mack, Elias Pena, and Richard Anderson.

An official report was filed with the Alaska State Troopers on January 28, 1996, and despite search and rescue efforts no trace of the boat or the men was ever found. Matthew was noted to have several distinctive scars and to have been wearing a gold wedding ring.

The exact cause of the sinking and the men’s ultimate fate remain unknown.