Alaska News

Ketchikan search and rescue volunteers find body of man missing since November

Ketchikan search and rescue volunteers on Sunday located the body of Justin Nathan, a 22-year-old hiker missing since November, Alaska State Troopers said.

The Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad located the man's remains at 12:22 p.m. Sunday while conducting a training exercise on Deer Mountain, a steep slope near town, troopers said in an online dispatch Sunday.

Nathan was last seen on Nov. 11 attempting to descend the mountain. Search efforts at the time were unsuccessful "due to heavy snow and adverse weather conditions," according to the online dispatch.

The body was found at an elevation of 3,200 feet; his remains will be sent to the State Medical Examiner Office.

His next of kin have been notified, according to troopers.

Michelle Theriault Boots

Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon.

ADVERTISEMENT