Barry Lee Ritter, 43, was aboard the commercial fishing vessel Sea Castle when it overturned in Bucareli Bay, Alaska, on December 12, 1992. Four people, including Ritter and three children, were swept into the frigid water; four other passengers survived. The missing were reportedly not wearing life vests or survival suits when the vessel capsized.

The Coast Guard mounted a search and rescue operation that recovered debris believed from the Sea Castle and a child’s jacket, but did not find Barry or the children. Investigators concluded the missing likely succumbed to hypothermia after being washed off the overturned vessel. The incident underscores the danger of cold-water exposure and the consequences of lacking essential survival gear.