
The person at the center of this case
Timothy Joseph Schmitt
Justice for Timothy Joseph Schmitt — the trail went cold in 1991, but the truth hasn't.
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What were the exact circumstances that led to the Barbarossa capsizing? Were there weather conditions, mechanical failure, or other factors documented?
Has any wreckage, debris, or remains from the Barbarossa ever been recovered from the Bering Sea?
Were there any other vessels in the area that may have witnessed the distress call or the vessel's final moments?
Timothy Joseph Schmitt, a 30-year-old crew member, went missing on February 10, 1991, when the 98-foot crab fishing vessel Barbarossa sank in the Bering Sea approximately 30 miles west of St. George Island, Alaska. The Coast Guard received a distress call around 1:00 AM but was unable to locate the vessel or any survivors; it is presumed the boat capsized and sank with all six crew members aboard. Despite extensive search efforts, Timothy and his five fellow crewmen remain missing, and any information about the vessel's final moments or potential survivors could help resolve this decades-old maritime tragedy.
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Official wording
NamUs case MP67212. Missing person: Timothy Joseph Schmitt.
Last known contact: 1991-02-10 in Dillingham, Dillingham, AK. Circumstances: Timothy was last seen on 02/10/1991 aboard the 98 foot steel crab fishing vessel, Barbarossa, which was lost in the Bering Sea about 30 miles west of St.
George Island. The Coast Guard received a distress call from the boat around 1:00am but searches did not locate the boat or the crewmen.
It is presumed that the boat capsized and sank. Timothy is missing with five other crewmen including Donald Bright (MP #66651), George Brandenburg (MP #67271), Dennis Olberding (MP #66824), Darrell Gross (MP #66865), and Brian McPherson (MP #66996).
Demographics: 30 years, Male, White / Caucasian. Physical description: 5 ft 9 in, 160 lbs, hair: Blond/Strawberry, eyes: Green.
Investigating agency: Alaska State Troopers | 910010518.
The 98-foot steel crab fishing vessel Barbarossa transmitted a distress call around 1:00 AM from the Bering Sea approximately 30 miles west of St. George Island. The vessel is presumed to have capsized and sank with all six crew members aboard.
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.