Two Rescued, One Missing in Monday Kenai River Boating Accident

Location of boat overturn on the Kenai River. Image-Google Maps
Location of boat overturn on the Kenai River. Image-Google Maps

Two boaters were rescued, and one remains missing following a Monday evening boating accident where the three men’s boat overturned near the Moose Meadows area on the Kenai River, AST reports.

The Soldotna Public Safety Communications Center received several calls of the overturned vessel at 6:59 PM on Monday. According to the callers, two men were observed clinging to their overturned boat as a third man was seen floating further down the river just south of Soldotna’s Fred Meyers.

As is the scenario unfolded, a good Samaritan in another vessel saw what was happening and rushed to the overturned boat and plucked the two men, identified as 64-year-old Lawrence Paul and 68-year-old Charles Bohman from the water and transported them to shore to awaiting Central Emergency Services personnel, who in turn transported them to the Central Peninsula Hospital.

Meanwhile, Alaska wildlife troopers and additional Central Emergency Services searched downriver for the additional boater, identified as 68-year-old Daniel Hass,  until the low light forced postponement of the search.

Search efforts began again on Tuesday morning.


According to the report, the three men were not wearing personal floatation devices when they struck the rock that caused the overturn.

AST reports that all three men are from Algoma, Wisconsin.