Alaska State Troopers report that they were contacted by a group of pack rafters recreating on the Little Chena River 30 miles east of Fairbanks on Sunday and notified that they had found a disoriented man and provided GPS coordinates of the man’s location.

“The group reported they located a male on the riverbank who appeared lost, was without a shirt or shoes and appeared disoriented,” troopers said. It was also reported that the man was without gear or provisions. The group also reported that they provided the man, later identified as 46-year-old Gulkana resident Roy Ewan, with food, water, and means to start a fire.

Heavy smoke conditions prevented AST/AWT from reaching the victim by helicopter on Sunday. It wasn’t until the next day that Wildlife troopers were able to reach Ewan’s location by boat. When contacted, Ewan who appeared disoriented, said that he thought he had been in the area for a few days but had no idea how he had gotten there.

Troopers extracted Ewan from the area and transported him to a medical center where he received treatment for minor injuries.

It was found that Ewan was the subject of active felony and misdemeanor arrest warrants, and so, once released from medical care, he was remanded to the Fairbanks Correctional Center.

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