On Saturday mid-morning, at 10:21 am, the Fish and Wildlife troopers in Dutch Harbor were notified by the VPSO of Akutan that an unresponsive male had been discovered on the beach near the Trident cannery that morning.

31-year-old Santa Clara, California resident, Simon Gatpan was discovered on the beach and at approximately 8:25 am, he was transported to the Akutan clinic, where he was pronounced dead.

The circumstances and cause of death are unknown. Alaska State Troopers as well as an investigator with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation traveled to the remote fishing community on the Aleutian Chain yesterday to conduct an investigation into the incident.

The State Medical Examiner’s office was notified and Gatpan’s remains will be autopsied in Anchorage to determine the cause of Gatpan’s death.

Akutan, home to North America’s largest seafood production facility lies approximately 35 miles east of Dutch Harbor.