A double snow machine accident took the life of one while another suffered injuries between New Stuyahok and Koliganik on Thursday night troopers say.

Three travelers were between the two villages on a frozen lake according to the report. 48-year-old Gusty “Elia” Ishnook was on one snow machine while 35-year-old Myrtle Kaye Ishnook was operating the other with a passenger, 25-year-old Joey Lee Gust, aboard.

G. Ishnook struck a berm at the edge of  the lake at high speed, launching the machine and himself into the air for approximately 55 feet. Ishnook was ejected from the machine. When the snow machine crashed to the ground, it flipped and rolled traveling another 70 feet according to the trooper investigation.

G. Ishnook was severely injured in the accident.

M. Ishnook and her passenger encountered the same berm and went airborne, both getting ejected from their machine as well. The driver was uninjured in the second accident, but her passenger, Gust sustained injuries and was transported to the Koliganik Village Clinic by local responders from the village. Gust was later transported to the hospital in Dillingham for further treatment.

G. Ishnook was declared deceased at the scene. His remains were transported to King Salmon. Once there, arraignments were made to send the body to the State Medical Examiner’s office in Anchorage for autopsy and further investigation.

The investigation determined that no one was wearing protective helmets at the time of the inncident. They also believe alcohol played a factor.

All three of the riders were from the community of Koliganik.

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