At least two people have died in boating-related incidents in the western part of the state in the second half of May.
On May 15, Alaska State Troopers were notified of a skiff upside down on the beach in the Bristol Bay coastal village of Ekuk, roughly 15 miles south of Dillingham. According to troopers, the skiff had departed Dillingham on May 13 with two occupants aboard: 29-year-old Rachelle Johnson and 36-year-old Carl Nunn.
On May 25, Alaska State Troopers recovered the body of Johnson on a beach near Clark’s Point, located a short distance north of Ekuk. Nunn was still missing as of May 28. Johnson’s body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Anchorage for an autopsy.
In a separate incident on the Kuskokwim River, a boat with two people aboard overturned near the village of Kalskag at some point on the morning of May 27. According to troopers, an adult female was found alive near the boat.
The other occupant, 57-year-old Michael Evan, was found deceased following a search by Kalskag Search and Rescue members with aerial support from troopers. Evan’s body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office.
