Two people died on the Kuskokwim River and two others remained missing Wednesday after three unrelated boating incidents reported in Southwest Alaska since Saturday, Alaska State Troopers said.
A 44-year-old Napakiak woman was found dead Sunday after searchers found the boat she was on submerged in the Kuskokwim River.
Troopers had been alerted Sunday afternoon that two people had not returned from what was supposed to be a three-hour trip on the Kuskokwim the day before, troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain said. The pair had left Napakiak and were headed for Tuntutuliak, roughly 40 air miles southwest of Bethel, he said.
A village police officer found the boat submerged, troopers said. Marcella Jimmie of Napakiak was found dead near the shore and a man who was with her was wet and hypothermic on the riverbank, they said. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine Jimmie’s cause of death.
On Tuesday, a 26-year-old Tuluksak man died when the boat he was on capsized in the Kuskokwim near Bethel, troopers said. He was in a group headed to Akiachak, DeSpain said. One person was rescued from the water by a good Samaritan but Brenton Napoka was found dead, according to DeSpain. Alexander Henry, 31, of Akiachak remains missing.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the boat to capsize, DeSpain said. None of the people in the boat was wearing a life jacket, he said.
Troopers say search efforts continued Wednesday for Henry as well as a woman from Togiak missing in Southwest Alaska in a third incident.
On Saturday afternoon, a Koliganek village public safety officer notified troopers that a swamped boat was found on the Nushagak River near Lewis Point, troopers said. A group of people searched the area but did not find anyone, troopers said.
On Monday, authorities learned 25-year-old Kelly Coopchiak of Togiak had likely been in the boat, according to troopers. Alaska State Parks and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel searched the area by plane and helicopter and nearby cabins were searched, troopers said.
Local searchers and troopers were continuing to look for Coopchiak on Wednesday, according to DeSpain.