In the pre-sunrise hours on Humboldt Bay, a fishing boat called the Silver Spray encountered a powerful 18-foot wave that tore the top of the boat off, launching the four men aboard into the dark waves. Skipper Al Burns described to The Times somersaulting underwater as the 35-foot ship sank. It was Dec. 14, 1999, and one man would not be found following the Northern California boat tragedy.
A fisherman disappeared in 1999 after a ship accident in California. 26 years later a human bone was found on a beach. A DNA comparison with his son brought certainty to the family.