Search Underway for Overdue Hunter

By Sentinel Staff
A search was under way today for a Sitka man overdue on a half-day hunting trip Tuesday in the Nakwasina Sound area.
The fire department received a call around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday from the man’s wife, who said he had gone out hunting that morning and had been expected back around midday.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew flew to the area and spotted the man’s skiff at anchor just offshore. The crew searched for about three and a half hours before returning to the air station. Search conditions were “not ideal,” the fire department said.
The Coast Guard resumed the aerial search at first light today, but the helicopter was back around midday, and had no information for the Sentinel about the search.
Teams from the Sitka Fire Department and Alaska State Troopers arrived at the area around 8:30 a.m. today and focused on ground searches on the hillside up to about 1,600 feet.
SFD search and rescue captain Brian McLaughlin said it’s a challenging search area, with dense forest, steep,  rocky terrain and snow in spots. The shoreline area of the search closest to the hunter’s boat is about a mile long, the captain said.
He said search and rescue is currently “flush with volunteers” and has enough to carry out the search plan. “We’ve had a great response,” he added.

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20 YEARS AGO

February 2005

Because of dramatic increases in construction costs, about 100 seats have been cut from plans for the Sitka High School auditorium, City Engineer Dan Jones said at the Sitka School Board meeting.

50 YEARS AGO

February 1975

Police Blotter: Four youths were warned it is illegal to ride motorcycles on Swan  Lake. Hames Corp. reported three cases of larceny by  check. One auto on Lake St. across from the Fire Department and two autos on the Alaska Federal Savings and Loan parking lot were impounded. Mrs. Eugene Buchholz reported the theft of a car battery, valued at $35.


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