According to Alaska State Troopers, an ATV broke through the ice on the Little Susitna River Thursday morning, leaving two workers unaccounted for. The missing men were washed away beneath the ice, but three others escaped and made it to safety.
At 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, Alaska Wildlife Troopers got a distress call stating that the vehicle had crashed through thin ice while five personnel were crossing the river. After climbing out, the three survivors arrived at a nearby work camp, where they were subsequently picked up by a charter helicopter.
Troops verified that they refused medical care. Search crews used a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft to scan the river downstream from the accident site, approximately eight miles upstream from the Susitna River´s mouth.
Officials confirmed that unstable ice conditions prevented ground rescue efforts. On Friday, additional aerial support from the Civil Air Patrol and Alaska National Guard joined the operation. One of the missing men, 32-year-old Skye Rench from Wasilla, had been under contract for Alaska Directional Drilling.
His fiancée, Heidi Goozen, revealed that the night before the accident, he worried about rising temperatures and rain weakening the ice. The incident occurred during a shift change as the crew attempted to cross the river.
Sean Kendall, the second missing worker, was identified Friday evening by his wife, Gina Kendall. A friend of Rench´s who survived the accident recalled how the ATV´s back half collapsed through the ice, trapping both men.
The crew fought to pull them out, but the current swept them away before they could be rescued. The Little Susitna River ATV accident has devastated families, with Rench´s relatives flying in from Michigan. Search efforts continue as authorities hope for answers.
This news source was originally published by Alaska´s News Source.
