A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka aircrew aboard an MH-60 rescued three from the Chilkat River on Sunday night after they became stranded.
The rescue occurred after the trio’s kayaks and rafts capsized on Sunday evening, stranding them without all of their gear, the Coast Guard said in a news release.
“The three kayakers were very well prepared,” said Lt. Erik Oredson, an Air Station Sitka pilot, in the release. “They were dressed for the water temperature instead of the air temperature, which means they were all wearing dry suits when we made the rescue.”
A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka aircrew rescued three mariners on the Chilkat River near Haines on July 18, 2021. (Courtesy video /USCG)
“They had a solid communication plan and a reliable GPS device to relay their position and call for help, and we were able to locate them easily because of these factors,” Oredson said in the release. “They were in good spirits after we picked them up despite being submerged in near glacial waters, and it all boils down to preparing for the worst possible situation.”
The stranding occurred about 20 miles northwest of Haines. One of the three, who was separated from the other two, was able to guide rescuers in via a satellite communications device. No injuries were reported.
Pictured is a remote mining camp near Nome, Alaska, where a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrew rescued the survivor of a bear attack, on July 16, 2021. (Courtesy photo / USCG)
Elsewhere in Alaska
A man at a mining camp near Nome who survived a bear attack was rescued by an aircrew from CGAS Kodiak on Friday.
The man was reported overdue by friends after he failed to return to Nome on time. The man was located by an aircrew searching between Nome and Kotzebue when they spotted an SOS sign atop a shack. When the aircraft circled back around, the man flagged down the helicopter.
“The aircrew landed and made contact with the individual, who requested medical care after being attacked by a bear a few days earlier. The individual was assessed and appeared to have bruising on his torso and a leg injury,” the news release said. “The man reported that the bear had returned to his camp and harassed him every night for a week straight.”
The man was handed over to emergency medical services personnel in Nome for his injuries.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
