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Humboldt County seeks families of people lost at sea after DNA solves decades old mystery
After DNA identified a fisherman who went missing in 1999, Humboldt County investigators are asking families of people lost at sea to contact them.
For nearly 27 years, one Humboldt County family had no answers about what happened to a fisherman swept into the ocean near Humboldt Bay. Now a DNA identification has brought new attention to other people who disappeared at sea and may not have been properly recorded as missing.
The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office is asking families, fellow fishermen and anyone familiar with older boating tragedies along the Northern California coast to contact investigators, even when the disappearance happened decades ago or was previously handled by federal authorities.
A disappearance dating back to 1999
Jonathan “John” Raxa, 37, disappeared on December 14th, 1999, while aboard the commercial fishing vessel Silver Spray near the entrance to Humboldt Bay.
According to the Sheriff's Office, a large wave struck the vessel and tore away its pilothouse, throwing the captain and crew members into the water. Three people were recovered, but Raxa was not found.
The case took a new turn in March 2026, when someone discovered a human bone on Centerville Beach. Investigators arranged DNA testing and matched the remains to a sample provided by Raxa's family, finally confirming his identity.
Why investigators are looking for other cases
In reviewing maritime records and communicating with the United States Coast Guard, sheriff's investigators found that some people lost in boating and commercial fishing accidents had never been properly entered into California's missing person reporting system.
Because accidents at sea may be investigated by several agencies, a federal investigation does not always result in an entry in the state and national missing person databases. The Sheriff's Office wants to identify those gaps and make sure families have the chance to provide records or DNA that might help with an eventual identification.
The request is not limited to commercial fishermen. It also includes people who vanished from recreational boats or vessels that capsized or sank off the Northern California coast, regardless of how long ago the accident happened.
How families can help
Anyone who knows about a person lost at sea, or is unsure whether a loved one was ever officially listed as missing, can contact Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Unsolved Homicide/Missing Persons Investigator Mike Fridley at 707-441-3024.
Investigators say they can review the circumstances, check existing records, arrange missing person reports where necessary and consider collecting family DNA for future comparisons.
Sources
Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, November 3rd public request