The search for the Kasigluk man who went missing six months ago is over. Troopers flew to Kasigluk on Tuesday to inform the family of Wassilie Keene that his body had been found.
Troopers received a report on Saturday that a man’s body had been discovered near the mouth of the Johnson River. Keene’s wallet and ID were in his pocket. The deceased was sent to Anchorage for autopsy and to confirm identification.
The 21-year-old was last seen in October. Keene’s skiff was discovered in a lake located 7 miles downriver of Kasigluk, and he was presumed dead from a boating accident. Kasigluk Search and Rescue spent a week looking for Keene’s body before winter conditions halted the effort. They resumed the search this month when breakup cleared ice from the river and lake.
Kasigluk Search and Rescue President Wilson Twitchell called off the search Tuesday afternoon when he received the news that Keene's body had been recovered. Twitchell had been searching for Keene eight to 10 hours per day for the past week and a half, along with other search and rescue members. “Most people that I’m coming across are breathing a sigh of relief," Twitchell told KYUK. "Most people will have a sense of closure for Wassilie.”
Twitchell has scheduled a meeting with the search and rescue crew for Tuesday evening to review what worked well during the search and how to improve for next time. He said that the debriefing is important. “Especially from my leadership. I try to learn how I can do things better for them. I expect it to be a lengthy meeting,” he said.
