1979 — Dec 5, Canadian gillnet fishing boat Salinta found ashore at Tree Point, AK –all 10

–10 AK Bur. Ocean Energy Mgmt., Reg., Enforce. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses.
–10 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1976-2000.”
–10 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (S).
–10 Brandon Sun, Canada. “Loner’s makeup factor in fate of nine lost at sea.” 12-11-1979, p16.
–10 Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Canadians Die of Exposure, Autopsy Shows.” 12-12-1979, p. 5.
–10 Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Two More Bodies Off Boat Found.” 12-17-1979, p. 3, col. 6.
–10 Medicine Hat News, Alberta, Canada. “Search continues for lost seamen.” 12-10-1979, p.8.

Narrative Information

Alaska Bureau Ocean Energy Management: “Dec 5, 1979…Canadian fishing vessel… Salinta…Went aground and broke in half…Tree Point, 46 mi NW of Prince Rupert, BC…10 lost (all hands).” (Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses.)

Alaskashipwreck.com: “1979…Salinta…SE [southeast area]…33 Foot…Gillnetter…10 [lives lost].” (Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1976-2000.”

Alaskashipwreck.com: “Salinta (1979). Three adults and seven children were lost from the 33 foot Canadian gillnet fishing vessel Salinta which was found washed ashore at Tree Point December 5, 1979. The small old Canadian fishing vessel had departed Prince Rupert December 2nd on a day trip to Portland Inlet. The heavily damaged vessel washed ashore 46 miles northwest of Prince Rupert. There were no survivors. Lost were Roy Mostad (44), his three children Tommy (13), Robert (9), and Tina (9), Judy Stevens (30) and her three children Lyle (7), Nadine (6), and Roselle (4), and Wendy Stevens (27) and her daughter Angie (4).

“Mapping and Location: Southeast Alaska 54 48 15 N 130 55 45 W Chart 17420.

“Sources: 1. BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011), 2. The Seattle Times (December 11, 1979) “Hope lingers for 7 on boat” Pg F 8, 3. The Seattle Times (December 12, 1979) “Exposure caused death of 2 on gillnetter” Pg E 12.”

Dec 10: “Prince Rupert, B.C. (CP) – Ten persons are feared dead after a Canadian Forces helicopter crew found a missing 10-metre fishboat Sunday washed ashore at Tree Point on the rugged Alaskan coast, about 75 kilometres north of here. RCMP and coast guard spokesman said he crew found three bodies on board the heavily-damaged gillnetter Salinta, reported missing Friday. Seven of those aboard were children, aged three to 14. Names of those found were not released.

“The fate of the seven others was unknown, but a Search and Rescue spokesman at Victoria said the search was to resume at daybreak today using Canadian and United States coast guard vessels, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from Canadian Forces Base Comox.

“Officials earlier identified those aboard as vessel owner Roy Mostad, 44, his three children, Judy Stevens, 30, and her sister, Wendy Stevens, in their 20s, and their four children. All are from Prince Rupert.

“Capt. Ray Windsor of the Search and Rescue coordination centre at Victoria said in a telephone interview that a 2.5 metre aluminum skiff belonging to the Salinta was unaccounted for. It was not known if the skiff was with the fishboat when it sailed from Prince Rupert.

“The Salinta left this northwest B.C. coast port Dec. 2 for a 7½-hour trip to a small Indian reserve at Kincolith on Portland Inlet, 100 kilometres northwest of Prince Rupert.

“RCMP said the boat was not reported missing until Friday because relatives, not expecting the people to return to Prince Rupert until Tuesday [Dec 4], assumed they had arrived at Kincolith and had decided to stay longer.” (The Medicine Hat News, Alberta, Canada. “Search continues for lost seamen.” 12-10-1979, p. 8.)

Dec 11: “Prince Rupert, B.C. (CP)….[Roy] Mostad’s body and those of two other unidentified people was found Sunday aboard Mostad’s badly damaged 10-metre fishboat which was washed ashore at Tree Point…A fourth body was found Monday near the boat and an intensive air-sea search is continuing for the six other people who were aboard when the fishboat went missing on a trip to an Indian reserve at Kincolith inlet last week. RCMP have identified only Mostad. A juvenile female and a juvenile male were found on the boat. No details were given on the fourth. All the bodies were taken to Ketchikan, Alaska, where preliminary reports indicated death by drowning.

“The Salinta sailed Dec. 2 carrying Mostad, 44, and his three children, Tommy, 13, Robert, 9 and Tina, 9; Judy Stevens, 30, and her children, Lyle, 7, Nadine, 6, and Roselle, 4, and Judy Stevens’ sister, Wendy, 27, and her four-year-old daughter Angie. All are from Prince Rupert.

“Al Marshall revealed on Monday that a brief distress signal was received by Canadian and United States Coast Guards last Wednesday [Dec 5], two days before the search for the Salinta began. Marshall said the word ‘mayday’ was heard but neither the boat’s name nor its location were given.” (Brandon Sun, Canada. “Loner’s makeup factor in fate of nine lost at sea.” 12-11-1979, p. 16.)

Dec 12: “Prince Rupert, British Columbia (AP) – Exposure combined with hypothermia apparently caused the death of Roy Mostad, 44, and an unidentified boy found Sunday aboard the ill-fated gillnetter Salinta, says the acting coroner in Ketchikan, Alaska. Judge Henry Keene said Tuesday that samples taken from an autopsy Monday will be sent to a laboratory for confirmation.

“….Alaska state troopers say it is unlikely any other bodies will surface from the cold water off the Alaskan coast.

“Keene said he is unsure of the time of death of the two bodies on which autopsies were performed. He said extremely cold water acts as a preservative and the victims could have been dead one day or possibly one week….” (Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Canadians Die of Exposure, Autopsy Shows.” 12-12-1979, p. 5.)

Dec 17: “Prince Rupert, British Columbia (AP) – Royal Canadian Mounted Police divers have found two more bodies and will continue heir search for four others still missing from a fishing boat wrecked with 10 persons aboard. An RCMP spokesman said…the two bodies found Friday are believed to be those of children. Fisherman Roy Mostad, 44, and nine other persons…left Prince Rupert on Dec 2 for a 7 1/2-hour trip to visit relatives at an Indian reserve at Kincolith on Portland Inlet. His body, those of Wendy Stevens, 20, and her sister, Judy, and three children now have been found.” (Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Two More Bodies Off Boat Found.” 12-17-1979, p. 3, col. 6.)

Sources

Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://www.boem.gov/about-boem/alaskas-worst-all-time-shipping-losses

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1976-2000.” Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/alaska-shipwrecks-1729-2012/alaska-shipwrecks-1971-1990/

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (S). Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-s/

Brandon Sun, Canada. “Loner’s makeup factor in fate of nine lost at sea.” 12-11-1979, p. 16. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brandon-sun-dec-11-1979-p-16/

Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Canadians Die of Exposure, Autopsy Shows.” 12-12-1979, p. 5. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-sitka-sentinel-dec-12-1979-p-5/

Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Two More Bodies Off Boat Found.” 12-17-1979, p. 3, col. 6. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-sitka-sentinel-dec-17-1979-p-3/

Medicine Hat News, Alberta, Canada. “Search continues for lost seamen.” 12-10-1979, p. 8, c.6. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/medicine-hat-news-dec-10-1979-p-8/