Bethel Search and Rescue recovered the body of another man who drowned last week in the Kuskokwim River, according to BSAR President Mike Riley.
A bystander heard Bethel resident Dalton Moss yelling for help while struggling in the river Friday at 9 p.m. Moss was about 75 feet from the seawall by Mission Road. He went under as the bystander called 911.
BSAR had been dragging the river for his body since Friday night, and recovered the body at 7:25 p.m. on Sunday, about 100 feet from where he fell in. Moss is said to have been in his late 50s.
BSAR’s Riley says that compared to the same time last year, there have been more drownings so far this year. He also says that this is the first time he remembers Bethel Search and Rescue dealing with two drowning events in one week.
Thirty-five year old Fritz Johnson from Napaskiak drowned in the same location last week when he fell off the seawall. While alcohol played a role in Johnson’s death, BSAR says that it’s too soon to tell if it played a role in Moss’ drowning on Friday.