Earlier this month on March 6th, Alaska State Troopers in Bethel received a report of two overdue snowmachiners that had not arrived at their destination at Marshal or Russian Mission.

Searchers from Aniakchak and Marshall began a search for the missing men, 32-year-old Russian Mission resident Harvey Pitka and 53-year-old Raymond Marth of Marshall. The ongoing search was joined by volunteers from Bethel, Nunapitchuk and Russian Mission as well. An Alaska State Trooper aircraft also took up the search for the two men.

On March 7th, Pitka’s abandoned snowmachine was located about 30 miles northwest of Bethel on the Woodcutter’s Trail.

On March 10th, a report came out of Kalskag that Marth had arrived at that village on foot. He reported then that he and Pitka had parted ways days before his arrival at Kalskag. On the 11th, Marth’s snow machine was found about 36 miles from Pitka’s machine.

Alaska State Troopers called off the aerial search for Pitka on Tuesday after efforts to locate him proved unsuccessful. Searchers from the communities in the area continued their search however.

At 7 pm on Wednesday Marshall and Bethel volunteer searchers located Pitka’s remains. His body was found about 6.5 miles from where his snowmachine was found on the 7th.