(SitNews) - Klawock Alaska State Troopers received a report of two overdue deer hunters allegedly hunting in the Upper Steelhead area of the Tongass National Forest on Prince of Wales Island. It was reported that David Duncan, 38 years old of Craig, was hunting with his brother, Berton Duncan, 24 years old of Craig, and had advised family that they would be returning from their hunt by the evening of Friday, 8/30/2013.

Family advised the Troopers that the brothers had not yet returned and their vehicle had been discovered undisturbed on a logging road in the Upper Steelhead area. Family told Troopers that both brothers were avid hunters and had grown up hunting in many areas of Southeast Alaska. Neither had any medical conditions and both had basic survival equipment in their packs.

Alaska State Troopers contacted the Klawock Search and Rescue Team who responded to the scene and deployed a haste team. Troopers also contacted the US Coast Guard which deployed a Helo to Prince of Wales to begin an aerial search.

At approximately 1:00 AM Saturday the USCG Helo located the brothers when Berton Duncan deployed a flare gun near the top of one of the Upper Steelhead Area Mountains.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka locates and hoists two hunters during a search and rescue mission near Klawock, Alaska, Sept. 1, 2013. The Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers and and Klawock Search and Rescue worked together to find the men after they were reported overdue from a hunting trip.
U.S. Coast Guard video by Air Station Sitka

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka located the two men in good condition and transported them to a search staging location in Klawock set up by search parties on the ground. The brothers were picked up by means of the helicopter's basket and brought aboard the aircraft. Both brothers reported no injuries and were medically cleared by USCG Flight Crew. The brothers returned home safely.

The brothers reported that foggy conditions atop the mountains had caused them to become disoriented while hunting. In turn they had descended into a valley approximately eight miles away from where they had left their vehicle. One of the brothers had a sleeping bag and a tarp which kept them dry and warm.

The Alaska State Troopers thanked Klawock Search and Rescue along with the US Coast Guard for their assistance in this successful operation. The Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers and Klawock Search and Rescue assisted two missing hunters near Klawock, Saturday.

“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 USCG 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.”

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News: 

USCG
www.uscg.mil

Alaska Department of Public Safety
www.dps.state.ak.us

 

SitNews ©2013
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.