Two Aniak Travelers Found Safe after Morning SAR Operation

image30-05-2014 19.40.59Two Aniak travelers were located, alive, but with one injured, after being reported missing after not arriving in Kalskag on Wednesday night.

A call went in to troopers in Aniak on Thursday morning reporting that two members of the community had not been seen since Wednesday after leaving on a round trip from Aniak to Kalskag and back.Ground searchers began their search after the Alaska State Troopers received the call at 9:34 am Thursday morning.

Missing were 53-year-old William Morgan and 51-year-old Karlton Morgan of Aniak. K. Morgan was driving a black Honda Rancher with W. Morgan as a passenger. The two were traveling to Kalskag to drop off W. Morgan there and K. Morgan was to return home after. 

It was approximately one hour after the initial report came in to troopers, that a RAVN pilot had seen two individuals on the ground near Birch Crossing waving their arms in the air. After being located by air, ground searchers traveled to the location and found the two travelers at 1:30 pm Thursday.

K. Morgan reported that he had been driving his four-wheeler by Birch Crossing and attempted to cross a wet section of the river, when his four-wheeler broke through and sank. K. Morgan reported that he had to swim out after the mishap.

Then, K. Morgan reported that he slipped and fell, injuring himself, as the two were walking back to Aniak.

K. Morgan was treated at the Aniak Sub-regional Clinic.