A man suspected of horrific crimes against a child is now lost somewhere in the vastness of the South Pacific. Donald Steven Lang, 62, a seasoned sailor originally from British Columbia, is wanted in Idaho for alleged sexual offenses.
The charges are deeply disturbing: three counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and one count of sexual battery. These alleged assaults occurred between 2003 and 2007, a period casting a long shadow over a young life.
Lang vanished after being last seen in January 2025 aboard his sailboat, the ISHI, in Hawaii. Authorities believe he is actively sailing the Pacific, attempting to evade capture and disappearing into a network of international connections.
The FBI is working with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, recognizing Lang as a significant flight risk. His ties extend beyond Hawaii, reaching into Idaho, Washington State, California, Canada, and even the remote Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.
This isn’t the first time Lang has intentionally disappeared. In January 2023, he was reported missing after setting sail from Oahu to Maui. He hadn’t been seen for months, only to resurface later, before vanishing again.
On that earlier voyage, Lang departed on October 12, 2022, aboard the ISHI, and his last communication was the following day while still at sea. He was expected back in Hawaii in January 2023, but never arrived.
Lang is described as 5-foot-8, approximately 210 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair. A distinctive faded tattoo of a conch shell with the word “captain” adorns his right arm, a potential identifying mark.
The ISHI is a 1985 Hatfield 55’ sailboat, easily recognized by its white and red hull and the Hawaiian license plate HA-5665-G. The vessel represents not just a means of escape, but a symbol of his attempt to remain hidden.
The search is complicated by the sheer scale of the Pacific Ocean and Lang’s extensive sailing experience. He is a professional sailor, intimately familiar with navigating these waters, making him a particularly elusive target.
Every port, every island, every hidden cove becomes a potential refuge for a man accused of such grave offenses. The investigation continues, driven by the hope of bringing him to justice and protecting others.
