In the early hours before sunrise on Humboldt Bay in December 1999, the fishing boat Silver Spray faced a powerful 18-foot wave. This wave ripped the boat’s top off, throwing the four fishermen aboard into the dark sea. Al Burns, the boat’s skipper, shared his experience of somersaulting underwater with The Times. The 35-foot boat sank that day, one man went missing, and it took almost 30 years to find closure for his family.
Burns recalled feeling that he might not survive as he watched the pilothouse being torn away. Jonathan Raxa, the boat owner, went missing that day. Despite surviving crew members grabbing debris and rafts, Raxa’s body was never found. The 37-year-old father of three had intensified his crab fishing efforts to fund an evangelical trip to Laos. However, the unforgiving December waves can be treacherous. Humboldt Bay, California’s second-largest bay, is known for its dangerous breakers that have claimed numerous boats and lives.
Commercial fishing presents many risks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the profession had a fatality rate over 28 times the U.S. average between 2000 and 2017. Vessel disasters and falls overboard contribute to this high risk.
For nearly three decades, Raxa’s whereabouts remained unknown. Then, in March 2026, a bone appeared on Centerville Beach, 20 miles from the Silver Spray’s crash site. Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies identified the bone as a human sacrum. They submitted it to the state Department of Justice’s DNA system. The DNA matched a sample taken from Raxa’s son many years ago. The family was informed that the mystery surrounding their father had been resolved.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office released a statement stressing the importance of keeping DNA samples from families of missing persons. Such measures can help resolve long-standing cases, offering families a sense of closure even many years later.