Bethel Search and Rescue, Alaska Wildlife and Alaska State Troopers concluded their search on Monday evening for a missing boater near Napakiak after a boating accident there on Friday.

Troopers received a report of a boating accident involving a boat traveling to Atmautluak from Napakiak on the Johnson River at 11:55 pm on Friday.

It was reported that the boat had sunk after hitting a sandbar on the river. One of the occupants, an un-named juvenile, made it out of the sinking boat and to shore, they were located there and transported back to Napakiak.

Although the boat was located, submerged by the sandbar, and near where the juvenile was located, searchers were unable to locate the second occupant of the boat, identified as 28-year-old Benjamin Beaver Jr of Bethel for several days. It was not until Monday evening that Beaver’s remains were retrieved from the river. He was found about 600 feet downriver from the accident site.

Beaver’s next of kin have been notified.

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