Thomas Lewis Jr., 09-12-08
Coast Guard searches for missing fisherman
ADN, September 12th, 2008
A search is under way for a 52-year-old Petersburg fisherman whose boat was found
run aground and abandoned near Kake.
Thomas Lewis Jr. was reported missing this morning. He was due back from a four-day
halibut fishing trip on Thursday, said Coast Guard search planner Scott Giard.
The Coast Guard found Lewis' 32-foot boat with its motor running. It had run aground
at Cape Fanshaw, about 30 miles northwest of Petersburg. There was no sign of Lewis.
Searchers are scouring land and water in the area.
Coast Guard suspends search
Anchorage Daily News, September 15th, 2008
PETERSBURG -- The search for a man who vanished near Cape Fanshaw while halibut
fishing has been suspended, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday.
The man, identified by Alaska State Troopers as Petersburg resident Thomas Lewis,
52, was reported missing at 11:30 a.m. Friday after he failed to return from a three-day
halibut fishing trip in Frederick Sound the previous day.
Within 20 minutes, a Coast Guard rescue crew already in the area on other business
came across the vessel, Hurricane, hard aground with its engines still running about
30 miles northwest of Petersburg, Petty Officer Jeramy Gaul said.
A rescue swimmer who inspected the vessel found it empty, though the catch was aboard,
still whole and spoiled. Information taken from the ship's global positioning device
determine no entries had been made after 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, the Coast Guard said.
Searchers using helicopters, boats and dogs scoured the area by air and ground but
were unable to find further sign of Lewis' whereabouts after covering 1,472 nautical
miles.
"Essentially we could not find further clues as to what happened," Gaul said.