On Saturday evening at 7:54 pm, the Alaska State Troopers in Klawock received a report of overdue deer hunters that were due back on Friday from a hunting trip in the Tongass National Forest in the Upper Steelhead area.

Family members advised the troopers that the hunters, Craig residents 38-year-old David Duncan and his brother, 24-year-old Berton Duncan, had not been heard from and that their vehicle was discovered undisturbed on a logging road in the Upper Steelhead area. The family also told the troopers that the two brothers did not have any medical conditions and were familiar with the area they were hunting in.

Klawock Search and Rescue were notified by the troopers and a Haste Team was deployed to the area.

The United States Coast Guard also was notified of the overdue hunters and subsequently launched a helicopter from Air Station Sitka to Prince of Wales island to carry out a search.

In the early morning hours of Sunday at 1 am, the Coast Guard helicopter located the two men on top of one of the mountains in the Upper Steelhead area. They were alerted by a flare that was deployed by Berton Duncan. The two men were hoisted aboard the helicopter by means of the aircraft’s basket.

The two hunters reported no injuries and were cleared by the Coast Guard.

“This case owes its success to cooperation with our partner search and rescue agencies and to the planning of the two hunters,” said Vince Gorchowski, a Sector Juneau watchstander. “These men did the right thing by telling their families where they’d be hunting and staying in contact with them during their trip, and that information told search crews exactly where to look and helped us to quickly resolve this mission and bring these men home safe.”

The men reported that foggy conditions had caused them to become disoriented. They were dropped off by the helicopter at a clearing near their vehicle.