Alaska Commercial Fishing and other Maritime Losses of 1994

February 22, 1994     The 171 foot fishing vessel St Matthew capsized 120 miles NW of Saint Paul Island while crab fishing.  Tom Gardner (33) was lost but seven other crewmembers were rescued by the fishing vessel Gulfwind.

February 25, 1994     One crewmember was lost overboard from the 166 foot crab fishing vessel Northern Enterprise.

April 6, 1994     Robert Butler from the Malina died while diving for sea cucumbers near Old Harbor.  His air hose was severed when it became tangled in the vessel’s propeller.

April 27, 1994     A crewmember was lost from the 97 foot crab fishing vessel Alaskan Beauty when he was pulled overboard by the line from a crab pot as it was launched.  They vessel was crabbing near Kiska Island when the disaster took place.

May 6, 1994     A crewmember suffered a fatal blow to the head from a trawl door aboard the 111 foot cod trawler Hazel Lorraine I at Dutch Harbor.

May 24, 1994     The 28 foot Arctic Fox went aground at Pilot Point after two crewmen died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

July 8, 1994     A crewmember was lost from the 324 foot fish processor Omnisea when he fell overboard and was swept away with the current of the Naknek River at Naknek.

July 24, 1994     Kyle Smith (22) was lost during a fire aboard the 340 foot processing ship All Alaskan near Unimak Pass.  The other 132 people aboard were forced to abandon ship.

July 24, 1994     One crewmember was lost when the 32 foot salmon seiner Lady Bea caught fire near Naknek.

August 15, 1994     One person was lost and one rescued when a 20 foot setnet skiff capsized and sank in the surf near Egegik.

September 14, 1994     One crewwoman was lost when the 42 foot longline halibut fishing vessel Wesley sank in a fierce storm in Frederick Sound, 30 miles NW of Petersburg.

October 25, 1994     The assistant engineer died from Freon poisoning on the 199 foot trawler Ocean Peace in the Bering Sea east of the Pribilof Islands.

October 26, 1994     The 105 foot crab fishing vessel Fierce Competitor was lost in the Gulf of Alaska along with skipper Robbie Simonsen (37), his wife Vickie Simonsen, Larry Jones (37), Keith Young (31) and Gordon Young (18).

December 28, 1994     William Darter (20) of Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island was lost overboard from the vessel Pacific Scout 300 miles south of Kodiak.

5 Replies to “Alaska Commercial Fishing and other Maritime Losses of 1994”

  1. I was the engineer on the St. Matthew when it sunk on Feb 22nd 1994 (Marc Pearson.) Myself, Mike England, Jim England, Raul Tellez, Howard Hawk, Kelley Crout were rescued. Tom Gardner passed away that night. Thank God for the Gulf Wind and their heroic crew and the quick actions of Mike and Jim England in particular. The entire crew did their job. It’s sad that Tom died and my prayers still go out to him and his family. We are so lucky that we didnt lose anyone else. Today is the 21st anniversary of the St. Matthew tradgedy. Everyone stay safe out there!

    1. I fished on the St Matty with Kelly prior to this terrible lost. I rotated outed shortly before this happen. My gear was onboard. we almost lost her just outside Unimack Pass coming back from extensive yard work in Seattle. Lake Union Dry dock. Had many great seasons with some good men on that boat! RIP

  2. 96 foot king and wing Sank in Bering Sea 1994..not sure who was lost..the old rum runner was used as a long linner..

    1. This section of the site is for vessels that sank with loss of life. The King and Winge is listed in the A to Z section. All four crew members were rescued by the U S Coast Guard cutter Kona Kai.

  3. I worked onboard the All Alaskan in the winter of 1989-90 Jan onward.
    It was brutal, I was just off from over 3 yrs of military service and the fittest of my life and barely survived it.
    Saw big burly types to muscle bound types.
    I read of this somewhere I don’t recall years ago and as then now am greatly saddened that corn cob died in that.
    That’s what we his fellow shipmates called him, affectionately I might add.
    He was every inch the tallest biggest Iowa farm raised stout type of a young boyish charming young man I’ve ever met.
    Liked him right off, everyone did including the prettiest little filly of a galley worker you ever seen.
    Cute as a button heart breaker with eyes only for corn cob.
    We were all proud of those two.

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