The search for Aaron Moses is likely over. Yesterday, after a week and half of searching around the Quivik and Tundra Ridge subdivisions, Bethel Search and Rescue recovered a body believed to be Moses, missing since January 5.
Moses' family told Bethel Police that they were concerned because they hadn't seen him, and thought he may not have been taking his prescription medication. Shortly after that report got filed, Police Chief Burke Waldron says that they “pinged” Moses’ phone.
“That’s where they triangulate his cellphone's location based on available cell phone towers,” said Waldron. “We did get some hits on that ping in the Quivik subdivision area, so Bethel Search and Rescue had concentrated the bulk of their search efforts in that area.”
They remained unable to locate Moses until the cold snap broke this week and BSAR caught a break.
“Bethel Search and Rescue located a body yesterday close to the Quivik Subdivision, which is where Aaron lived, and those remains have tentatively been identified by Aaron’s family as Aaron,” Waldron said at 3:00 PM on Wednesday.
The body was partially covered in snow. Waldron says that foul play isn’t a likely factor.
“He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with kind of a light jacket, rubber boots, and was not dressed appropriately for a long stay outdoors in the wintertime in Alaska,” said Waldron, “especially around the time he was reported missing. And you know we had that severe cold weather for several days in between.”
The remains have now been sent to Anchorage, where the medical examiner will do the final identification review and try to determine the cause of death.