Ronald McConnell, listed in records also as Ronnie Lee McConnell, was 10 years old when he went missing after a fishing vessel fire off Soldotna, Alaska, in July 1979. He was last seen wearing blue Levi jeans and a white t-shirt and reportedly jumped overboard during the blaze. The case is recorded with the Alaska State Troopers as D79-2656.

Exact date, the vessel’s name, the names of others aboard and the precise location of the incident are not available. Search efforts were undertaken at the time but Ronald was not found and the case remains unresolved. Few public details survive from that era, leaving many questions about what happened that day.

If anyone has memories of that boat, the crew, or the incident off Soldotna in July 1979, please share what you know.