The search for three Manokotak residents who were the subjects of a southwest Alaska search have been found and transported to the Kanakanak Hospital for treatment of dehydration and exposure, the trooper dispatch reported on Wednesday.

The missing person report was called in to troopers at 3:50 pm on Wednesday. It was reported that Alice Moxie, age 26, Daniel Tugutuk, age 27, Jeremiah Chukwuk, age 27, and a fourth person were reported overdue from a round trip from Manokotak to Dillingham and back.

15 minutes after the missing persons report, a Bristol Bay Air Taxi reported “sighting an abandoned skiff (Lund) near the mouth of Snake River, across from the Village of Ekuk,” troopers report. The Lund was aground in deep mud and footprints were seen departing from the skiff.

Two Hasty Teams in vessels dispatched to the scene, and with the help of the Bristol Bay Air Taxi pilot, who stayed over the scene, were able to find the grounded skiff.

At 6:20 pm, one of the overdue boaters were able make contact via cell phone and reported that all three were dehydrated, suffering from exposure because they were not dressed for the conditions, and disoriented.

The three were located, but the area was only accessible by helicopter. Troopers chartered a private helicopter that went to the scene , picked up the three boaters and transported them to Dillingham.

It was found that the fourth person initially reported missing, had remained behind in Dillingham and did not travel with the other three on the return trip.

  alice moxie, bristol bay air taxi, daniel tugutuk, dillingham, hospital, jeremiah chukwuk, kanakanak, manokotak, missing, search, skiff