Alaska State Troopers received an SOS notification from a Garmin InReach Device requesting emergency assistance for 2 hunters and their guide to the Alaska Range southeast of Nikolai on Tuesday morning citing extreme weather.

According to the report, the trio had been weathered in above the tree line for three days in inclement weather, with winds in excess of seventy mph that had destroyed their camp and their survival gear, leaving them without any shelter or the ability to start a fire.

The two clients from Pleasant Hill, Oregon were out with Jason Vogel, of Talkeetna in the worsening weather that increased to the point where their plight had become desperate. Similar conditions in the Anchorage area prevented assets from coming to their aid and attempt any rescue.

While with the Rescue Coordination Center monitored the weather conditions throughout the day and attempted an airborne attempt to get into the area from their location, extreme conditions forced those assets to return back to base.

Another attempt, this one originating in the Fairbanks area, made it to the rescue location and at 10:57 PM AST was informed that another guide in a PA-18 Super Cub had picked up Roxanne Cadotte-Speckman, age 60 and flew her to safety.[xyz-ihs snippet=”adsense-body-ad”]Shortly after Speckman was picked up RCC flew into the area and successfully rescued the other 2 victims. “All involved were transported via Blackhawk Helicopter to Fairbanks where they were dropped off in good condition after suffering from exposure.  No significant injuries have been reported” troopers reported on the trooper dispatch.

  Alaska, bear, fairbanks, guide, hunters, nikolai, piper, range, rcc, rescue, sos, speckman, super cub, talkeetna, vogel, weather