A man is presumed to have drowned after his boat was found without him in it earlier this month, troopers said.
On Sept. 4, a boat was reported with no one on board, troopers said in an online statement. About an hour after the boat was reported, troopers said a man told them he owned the boat and his brother, 62-year-old George Van Vleet, was expected to be arriving in Aleknagik on it. The Southwest Alaska village is roughly 20 miles northwest of Dillingham.
The boat was taken to shore and troopers began to search the area. On Tuesday, troopers said Van Vleet is presumed to have drowned, although the investigation is ongoing. Additional details were not immediately available.
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