A Napaskiak man has been charged with multiple felonies for allegedly using a boat to ram and sink another boat occupied by two passengers on the Kuskokwim River near Bethel.
According to a statement from Alaska State Troopers in support of the charges, 35-year-old Alex Chaney allegedly struck a boat occupied by a man and a woman from Napaskiak on Sept. 13, a short distance downriver from Bethel.
Despite pleas from the occupants, troopers said that Chaney rammed the boat several more times, causing it to take on water and forcing the occupants into the Kuskokwim River. Neither of the two were wearing life preservers and the 18-foot boat has not been recovered.
The male occupant was able to swim to shore, but the female occupant told troopers she was pulled out of the water and into Chaney’s boat after an unspecified amount of time, fearing exhaustion. The woman told troopers Chaney threatened to throw her back into the water multiple times as he shuttled her the short distance to Bethel, where she was apparently able to reach safety.
The male occupant told troopers that Chaney may have acted based on a belief that he had been in a relationship with Chaney’s wife. According to court records, a warrant was issued on Oct. 3 for Chaney’s arrest for violating a protective order to have limited contact with his wife.
For the alleged ramming and sinking of the boat, Chaney has been charged with two counts of felony third-degree assault, one count of felony third-degree criminal mischief, and two counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment. A warrant for the charges was issued on Oct. 15.
According to the trooper statement, tribal police in Napaskiak have attempted to contact Chaney multiple times, but he has “either fled into the woods or barricaded himself in his home.”
