HI HI - Hauula, 'Barnacle Bill' UP6909, 19-25, SCUBA suit bought In Tacoma, Nov'82

[branmuffin]

I've been digging into the archives to find other instances of people who went missing at sea between 1979 and 1982 and found a few potential matches. So far the strongest one I've come across (barring the age difference with the UID) is James (Jim) L. Paul, a 45-year-old resident of Tacoma and owner of Palco Steel & Salvage Co., who went missing in high seas off Westport on August 23, 1981.

Paul and his longtime partner and friend, 47-year-old Sterling D. Hahn, who owned the boat the Over-Dew, a 26-foot Sabrecraft, had gone fishing off Westport, departing at roughly 7 a.m. According to Hahn, who survived the ordeal, said that around 9:30 a.m. "we were out there in the swells, when all of a sudden a big breaker hit us and my boat, the Over-Dew, started to break up."

Paul and Hahn both clung to the wreckage, and though they were continuously washed off by the turbulent sea, they managed to swim back and grab hold again. "For the first half hour we were together on and off the boat. Then I lost track of Jim. We kept hollering to each other, trying to encourage each other to hang on," Hahn recalled. At about 11 o'clock, Hahn was picked up by the Coast Guard and taken to Grays Harbor Community Hospital for hypothermia and shock, then released. Although they kept a cutter in the water just in case, the Coast Guard suspended their search for Paul at about 1 p.m.

Reasons for a possible match with 'Barnacle Bill':

• First, and perhaps the most obvious, is that Jim Paul was from Tacoma, which is where the survival suit was purchased. Even more compelling is the fact that Jim's business was located at 1620 Lincoln Ave. in Tacoma, only a four minute drive away from what was then Tacoma Marine (759 Port of Tacoma Road), which sold sailing accessories and gear, among other marine-related items.
• Second, as was explained earlier in the thread by @Captain Warren Good, a body would probably take roughly a year to travel to Hawaii from the coast of Oregon / Washington––Jim Paul was lost at sea on August 23, 1981, and 'Barnacle Bill' washed ashore in Hawaii in November 1982.

Potential reasons Jim is not 'Barnacle Bill':

• First, at 45, Jim is significantly older than the 19-25 year-old age range given for 'Barnacle Bill.'
• Second, I could not find any physical description of Jim so I have no clue if he matches 'Barnacle Bill''s characteristics.

--
Sources:

“CG saves fisherman; Tacoman missing: Rough seas capsize boat, thwart rescuers,” News Tribune [Tacoma], 24 August 1981, pg. A-1.

Jack Pyle, “Waves ripped pair off capsized boat: CG unable to save fisherman,” News Tribune [Tacoma], 24 August 1981, pg. A-2.

Tacoma Marine advertisement, News Tribune [Tacoma], 30 July 1979, pg. B-8.

Was it ever mentioned whether either of the two fishermen were wearing survival suits? It doesn't sound like the owner of boat was wearing one since he mentioned his pant leg was caught on the out drive.

 

[Warwick1991]

I've always been struck with the individual wearing jean shorts underneath the immersion suit. In reading the amount of time required to don the suit, what I have seen is they must be designed to enable the user to put it on within 2 minutes, including any change of clothing and getting on a life jacket. Having said that, this person had enough time to get the suit on (a) knowing they were going in the water, and (2) was likely in a climate where jean shorts were appropriate (either on the deck or in the cabin, assuming there was one). I wonder if this person was even searched for - I would think, albeit I do not know such things - that any search crew would be specifically looking for any type of life saving equipment, including an immersion suit.

The exposure suit is worn without a life jacket. It is used in lieu of a life jacket. Exposure suits are designed to float, with fill inside or collars that float, or both. The flotation collars are designed to keep a person's head above water.

 

[HopeRains]

The exposure suit is worn without a life jacket. It is used in lieu of a life jacket. Exposure suits are designed to float, with fill inside or collars that float, or both. The flotation collars are designed to keep a person's head above water.

Thank you for correcting me on that - I'll read the thread again on info provided, re: exposure suit. Are you suggesting this person was perhaps diving?

 

[Laughing]

Thank you for correcting me on that - I'll read the thread again on info provided, re: exposure suit. Are you suggesting this person was perhaps diving?

Nope, this is not a dive suit, but a flotation & heat retaining suit, used when you are likely to go into the ocean.

 

[Warwick1991]

Thank you for correcting me on that - I'll read the thread again on info provided, re: exposure suit. Are you suggesting this person was perhaps diving?

It is not possible to dive with this type of suit. Its purpose is to keep a person buoyant, visible and offer them protection from hypothermia. Farther back in this thread, the make and model of the suit was listed, taken from NAMUS. Many people are not familiar with these suits unless they go to sea.

 

[Laughing]

It is not possible to dive with this type of suit. Its purpose is to keep a person buoyant, visible and offer them protection from hypothermia. Farther back in this thread, the make and model of the suit was listed, taken from NAMUS. Many people are not familiar with these suits unless they go to sea.

Similar to this one:

tailwatermarine.com

 

[Warwick1991]

Similar to this one:

tailwatermarine.com

I've worn suits similar to the one in your picture. The manufacturer of the ones I've used is Mustang.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

I've worn suits similar to the one in your picture. The manufacturer of the ones I've used is Mustang.

I just realized I've worn one too. They fit you into the Mustang suits for whale watching tours on zodiac boats out of Victoria BC.

 

[JaneGaGa]

Laughing, did you ever hear back?

 

[Magnum P.E.]

Did anyone find an obit for Jim Paul? It occurs to me that if his body was found later near Tacoma, he ain’t our guy.
That FTC legal case might have info as to who bought the suit.

 

[Laughing]

Laughing, did you ever hear back?

Nope.

 

[breachtones]

Are we sure this guys arm was really even amputated?
I've been trying to find anything on this doe, from Cracroft Island in British Columbia, who was also floating in the waters for months. They claim his "left pinky was amputated".

Makes me think his arm came off as a result of the water conditions. Just like this doe's finger.
(also pls, if someone knows anything else about the cracroft doe, i wanna know)

 

[Magnum P.E.]

Are we sure this guys arm was really even amputated?
I've been trying to find anything on this doe, from Cracroft Island in British Columbia, who was also floating in the waters for months. They claim his "left pinky was amputated".

Makes me think his arm came off as a result of the water conditions. Just like this doe's finger.
(also pls, if someone knows anything else about the cracroft doe, i wanna know)

You bring up a good point. This suit has integral mittens and boots, they can’t come off. Any disarticulated bones would tend to stay within an intact suit. I assume the coroner’s office in Hawaii could tell an amputated arm from a disarticulated one, but then they couldn’t tell a survival suit from a diving suit, so who knows? Anything is possible.

 

[Laughing]

Laughing, did you ever hear back?

Nope.

Today I will be more positive and say

Not yet!

 

[HopeRains]

FYI - Snapshots from a 1979 report summary, entitled Experimental Evaluations of Selected Immersion Hypothermia Protection Equipment. The report (170+ pages) was prepared by College of Engineering @ Clemson University as contracted to do so by US Coast Guard. The Bayley Exposure Suit (2 - 1 PVC foam, 1 - Neoprene Foam) were included. Survival times shown are in hours.

 

[Warwick1991]

One thing I've been thinking about is the possibility of a disarticulated arm, and how that would happen with a survival suit. The Bayley suits seem to have integral gloves or mittens, but the Mustang suits I've worn had detachable mittens so that the wearer could wear work gloves. I wonder if some models of Bayley suits had detachable mittens or gloves - people who work at sea often need to wear work gloves instead of the mittens. Is there a photo of the Bayley suit that Bill was wearing? It had mittens, from the description, but it would be interesting to know if they were part of the sleeves or detachable.

 

[LucyOso]

I've always been struck with the individual wearing jean shorts underneath the immersion suit. In reading the amount of time required to don the suit, what I have seen is they must be designed to enable the user to put it on within 2 minutes, including any change of clothing and getting on a life jacket. Having said that, this person had enough time to get the suit on (a) knowing they were going in the water, and (2) was likely in a climate where jean shorts were appropriate (either on the deck or in the cabin, assuming there was one). I wonder if this person was even searched for - I would think, albeit I do not know such things - that any search crew would be specifically looking for any type of life saving equipment, including an immersion suit.

I thought of this too. Unless he was below deck, resting. Great point.

 

[JaneGaGa]

Still convinced this is the match to the missing person I found. Will we ever hear back?

 

[Laughing]

Just a bump, or another ocean wave, for our Barnacle Bill.

Current NAMUS link: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Lots of waves since I noticed the article in 2011. Wow. Heartening to scroll back through & see the variety of people who have added their knowledge, skills, and abilities to return this seafarer to family & loved ones, even though that end has yet to be achieved.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[HmmMysterious]

Possibly Sean Phelan

An inch taller than official estimate, but he had brown hair. Sean has been known to hitchhike from SoCal to Washington state.