Buzz
Alaska, the 49th state in the United States, is home to 17 of the country’s tallest mountains, over 100,000 glaciers, and more than half of the nation's untouched wilderness. However, behind these striking statistics, a chilling secret lurks: over 16,000 people have vanished mysteriously within the confines of the Alaska Triangle.
Stretching between Utqiagvik, Anchorage, and Juneau, this infamous region is known for eerie occurrences like Bigfoot sightings, disappearing planes, unexplained paranormal events, and alien abductions. Despite attracting less media attention compared to the Bermuda Triangle, the Alaska Triangle has an alarmingly higher rate of strange disappearances.
In this article, we will explore the ten most mysterious disappearances tied to the Alaska Triangle.
10. Richard Lyman Griffiths
Richard Lyman Griffiths is best known for creating a wilderness survival cocoon, a concept he was eager to test. The summer of 2006 seemed like the ideal time to try it out. No one questioned his decision when he ventured into the wilds of southeast Alaska, and it took over a year before anyone noticed he was missing.
Investigators discovered that a bus had dropped him off along the Alaska Highway, where he checked into a lodge near the White River. There, he left some of his belongings and told others that he intended to camp in McCarthy, a small town close to St. Elias National Park. However, after heading into the wilderness, Richard was never seen again.
While many assumed he was testing his wilderness cocoon, no one thought to check on him until months later. As of now, neither Richard's body nor any traces of his cocoon have been found. Given that his disappearance occurred within the Alaska Triangle, he became one of the over 16,000 individuals who vanished without a trace.
9. Alan Foster
Although Alan Foster might not be widely recognized, he is among those who mysteriously vanished in the Alaska Triangle. On September 9, 2013, Alan piloted a Piper PA-32-260, which was later reported missing while flying over the Alaska Triangle region.
The National Transport Safety Board reports that Alan was flying under a visual flight rules plan, with fuel from Yakutat, and continued his journey at around 3:30 p.m. He even communicated with Juneau flight service, mentioning that he would detour to Cordova if necessary due to weather. However, 18 minutes after departure, somewhere between Malaspina Glacier and the Gulf of Alaska, radar showed Alan’s aircraft descending to about 1,100 feet before vanishing from the screen.
Alan Foster was never heard from again, and neither his body nor the plane have been located as of the current report. His disappearance is puzzling, especially given his experience: over 9,700 flight hours in various aircraft, consistently requesting vital details before and during his flight, and never reporting any issues before vanishing. The only unusual factor? His disappearance occurred within the Alaska Triangle.
8. Frank Minano
A respected educator and guide in subsistence living, hunting, and indigenous culture, Frank Minano was reported missing from Nenana on August 17, 2020. His disappearance places him among the many individuals claimed by the enigmatic and deadly Alaska Triangle.
Details surrounding Minano’s disappearance are scarce. Authorities know that he sought refuge in a nearby cabin on the first day he was reported missing. Yet, despite years passing, there have been no traces of his body. This case is tragically typical of those who vanish in the Alaska Triangle—very little information is available, and people continue to disappear.
7. Leonard Lane
Leonard Lane, a 73-year-old World War II veteran, went missing on the evening of July 4, 1995, following a parade in Fairbanks. He had taken a walk in the Alaska Triangle and disappeared without a trace. Witnesses who saw him just before he vanished noted that he was limping, likely due to injuries sustained during the war.
As with many other mysterious disappearances in the Alaska Triangle, authorities were left with no clues regarding Leonard's fate. In 1997, two years after his disappearance, he was declared legally dead, but his case remains unsolved.
6. Thomas Anthony Nuzzi
Thomas Anthony Nuzzi was a well-known nurse who worked various shifts throughout Alaska. Though he had a steady and well-paying job, he didn’t have a permanent home address and lived a transient lifestyle, moving between different locations.
For someone constantly on the move, tracking their whereabouts can be difficult unless they choose to share that information. In 2001, this task was even more complicated. However, when an employee goes missing, it doesn’t take long for an employer to notice—and that’s exactly what happened in this case.
While staying at a Super 8 motel in Anchorage, Nuzzi was reported missing after he failed to show up for work in Bethel, Alaska, just a short flight away. Investigators found that Nuzzi had been seen buying cigarettes, a lighter, chips, and soda at a gas station the night before his disappearance. Reports also indicated he was accompanied by a woman. When questioned, some staff members at the Super 8 mentioned seeing a different man in Nuzzi’s room that same night. Though his bicycle and Jeep were eventually discovered, Nuzzi’s whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.
5. Shanna Oman
On June 3, 2019, Shanna Oman disappeared after leaving her friend’s house in Fairbanks, Alaska, around noon. After her visit, her friend dropped her off at Nico River, not far from her home. Once Shanna was out of sight, her friend assumed she was safe. However, several hours later, Shanna’s roommate contacted the friend to report that Shanna had never arrived home.
A missing person report was filed, and authorities searched the area. Despite the efforts, Shanna was never seen again. No one truly knows what happened to her after she left her friend’s house. Sadly, she is now another name on the list of unexplained disappearances in the Alaska Triangle.
4. Paul Michael Lemaitre
Paul Michael Lemaitre, a 65-year-old marathoner, was participating in his first-ever Mount Marathon Race, the 85th edition, when he mysteriously vanished. Typically, the race requires participants to ascend a dense, forested mountain and traverse creeks for approximately three and a half miles.
Like many other competitions, the Mount Marathon Race has its share of challenges, but none as bizarre as a sudden disappearance, which is exactly what happened to Lemaitre. The last person to see him was a race steward who recalled seeing Lemaitre near the turnaround point, about 200 feet from the finish line.
Despite the foggy weather conditions, the steward noted there seemed to be no issues for Lemaitre. When asked for his bib number, Lemaitre responded with “548,” indicating he was still aware and conscious. However, that was the last time anyone saw or heard from him. Extensive search efforts by mountain rescue teams, state troopers, and search dogs turned up nothing. Could the fog have been part of the Alaska Triangle’s mysterious influence? The answer remains a mystery.
3. The Disappearance of U.S. Reps. Nick Begich and Hale Boggs
If you think the Alaska Triangle only claims the ‘small fry,’ think again. One of its earliest victims was none other than Hale Boggs, the powerful House Majority Leader from Louisiana, and Nick Begich, a freshman congressman from Alaska.
The two men, along with their aides, embarked on a journey that took them over Anchorage and Juneau in Alaska. However, their small plane mysteriously disappeared in mid-air, sparking an all-out government search to locate the missing aircraft.
Months passed with no trace of the plane or the passengers. No wreckage or bodies were found, effectively ending the search. The fate of these well-known figures remains a mystery, but one thing is certain: the Alaska Triangle likely played a role.
2. 1950 Douglas C-54D
On the morning of January 26, 1950, Robert Espe, a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, said his final goodbyes to his wife, unaware it would be the last time they would meet. Robert and the other 43 passengers boarded the Douglas C-54D Skymaster, set for a journey to Montana. However, shortly after takeoff, the Skymaster mysteriously lost all communication with air traffic control.
With loved ones anxiously waiting in Minnesota, their family members never arrived as fate had determined. At the time, reports of disappearances in the Alaska Triangle were rare. Despite an extensive search involving over 75 Canadian and U.S. aircraft, no trace of the missing plane was found, nor were any remains of the passengers ever recovered.
1. Jael Tiara Hamblen
Jael Tiara Hamblen was last seen in the trailside loop area in southern Anchorage, Alaska, on October 11, 2014. Her disappearance is believed to be a mix of homicide and the mysterious forces of the Alaska Triangle.
After having dinner with her roommate, Kendra Vincent Estrada, Hamblen considered going out again, but Estrada chose to sleep, as it was already late. That night, Hamblen was reportedly upset over relationship problems with an unnamed man and decided to text another man to ask if he would like to go out, to which he agreed.
Tragedy struck when Estrada could no longer reach Hamblen by phone. What transpired that night when the two parted ways remains a mystery, but with the Alaska Triangle involved, anything could have happened. Hamblen's purse and vehicle were later found, but there has been no trace of her remains or whereabouts.
