On August 7, 1985, 41-year-old Julia Stettinger, an American Indian / Alaska Native woman, was aboard the 90-foot barge tender Sea Dancer when the vessel took on water in heavy seas and sank about 55 miles northwest of Cold Bay on the Alaska Peninsula. Julia was wearing a survival suit and is believed to have had a rifle strapped to the suit when the boat went down.

Search and rescue teams responded, but Julia was never found and is presumed deceased. The sinking unfolded in remote, frigid waters where recoveries are often impossible, and the event underscored how quickly severe weather can turn maritime work fatal.

If anyone has information about the Sea Dancer’s final voyage or remembers hearing about the incident, please share what is known with investigators or the community.