A Port Graham man was found alive after several days of searching by the U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska State Troopers.
But he may not have wanted to be found.
On Nov. 30, the troopers and the Coast Guard received a report that 34-year-old Ryan Meganack of Port Graham had left in a skiff the previous morning and was missing.
The Coast Guard, the troopers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, good Samaritans and the Village of Port Graham launched a search for Meganack.
A helicopter found Meganack's skiff swamped on an island near Port Graham, with the engine down and keys in the ignition and in the surrounding water.
Searchers combed the shoreline from Nanwalek to Port Graham on Wednesday evening using flashlights, while other resources were turned back due to bad weather.
On Thursday, after another full day of searching by multiple agencies, troopers said they had received a report that Meganack might be hiding outside the community of Port Graham. After conducting interviews and searches in the community, troopers found Meganack in a makeshift camp nearby, they reported.
While Meganack was safe, he was in violation of conditions of his release in an Anchorage criminal case, which required him to be with a third-party custodian at all times.
Meganack was arrested and taken to the Homer jail.
"We appreciate the dedication and support of our partners and the Village of Port Graham in the efforts to locate the missing man," said Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Yonk, Sector Anchorage, command duty officer with the U.S. Coast Guard, in a release.
This story first appeared in the Homer Tribune and is republished here by permission.