Alaska Commercial Fishing and other Maritime Losses of 1976

March 29, 1976     Bruce Mulkeit was lost off of the Gerry D 35 miles SW of Mitrofania. CG Cutter Midget and M/V Eagle aided in the search but to no avail.

April 26, 1976     The 80 foot Master Carl overturned and sank in a storm southeast of Prince William Sound.  All four crewmen escaped in a life raft but the ninety knot winds and heavy seas overturned the life raft in the surf near the beach causing the loss of two; Tom Miller of Cordova and Tom Davidson of Westport. The tragedy occurred six miles off of Kayak Island near Cape St Elias.

June 25, 1976     Kodiak resident Ole Edward Watson was lost off of the Sea Scout when he fell overboard near Outlook Cape in Raspberry Straits.

July 25, 1976     The 34 foot salmon troller Miller’s Bay and a family of three disappeared southeast of Noyes Island, 150 miles south of Juneau.  Lost were Robert West (31), his wife Judy (30) and their 14 year old daughter Brenda.  The Wests were salmon fishing at the time of the disaster.

August 5, 1976     An unnamed small boat capsized near Safety Sound east of Nome and one person was lost.

August 8, 1976     Three children were found alive and adrift in a small boat off of Point Romanoff southwest of Saint Michael.  Their parents were presumed lost at sea.

August 26, 1976     Eight young people were lost when the Deep Sea sank in Whale Pass on a trip from Mush Bay to Kodiak.  The tragedy claimed the lives of John W Nichols, Earl McKee, Barney Eldridge, Valerie McCrea (23), Heather McCrea (20 months), Kathy McCrea (19), Molly McCrea (19) and Cy McAvery Rodgers (6).

September 22, 1976     The 38 foot sailboat Tigar Lil’ disappeared with three people aboard between Seward and Seattle.  Wreckage was found along Montague Island.  The body of Bert Stroud was found on Kayak Island.  Lost were owner Donald Lowcock (65), his wife Catherine (61) of Anchorage and Bert Stroud (68) of Seattle.

September 28, 1976     One person was lost when one of two unnamed boats carrying 14 clam diggers swamped in Chinitna Bay near Homer.

November 1, 1976     Donald Davis (19) and Laura Higbee (17) were lost when the fishing vessel Vina capsized and washed ashore at Cedar Pass south of Sitka.

November 7, 1976     An unnamed skiff capsized and Carter Eugene Smyth and his son Lane Nelson Smyth drowned near Narrow Cape south of Kodiak.

8 Replies to “Alaska Commercial Fishing and other Maritime Losses of 1976”

  1. Fished with the McRae Family that summer, The Deep Sea was our Tender.
    I missed the boat or would have been with them.

    1. I was married to Don Fox and fished in Uganda Bay with the McRae family .Valerie and I grew up together in Montana.We we’re also supposed to be on that boat but decided to wait out the weather and take the mail plane home.Such a tragedy.

  2. The November 7, 1976 entry: The two men lost at sea were Father Carter Eugene Smyth and So Lane Nelson Smyth.
    Lane Nelson Smyth was my husband.
    “May they rest in the peace of our Heavenly Father .”

  3. Regarding the August 26, 1976,wreck of the “Deep Sea”

    Valerie McRae (23), Heather McRae (20 months), Kathy McRae (19), Mollie McRae (19) and Cy McAvery Rodgers (6).

    The last name of the Valerie, Heather, Kathy, and Molly (correct spelling) is “McCrea”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *