A Tuluksak man remains missing. 43-year-old Walter Hawk walked away from his village almost a full month ago.
Tuluksak Search and Rescue last spotted him over the weekend, about 10 miles upriver from the village. Search and Rescue member Nelson Napoka said when Hawk saw the boat and heard the group shouting his name, he ran away.
Search and Rescue has seen Hawk several times since he left town, but each time he’s disappeared before they could reach him. Napoka said the searchers tie food in the trees at each place they spot the elusive man, last time, leaving dry fish, spam, crackers, and juice.
Nastaia Hawk, Walter’s sister, said this stretch is the longest her brother has been missing. She said he often tries to walk to Anchorage, but he’s always come home within four days. As of Wednesday, he’s been missing 28 days.
Napoka said when the search team last spotted Hawk, he was wearing the same blue sweater he’d left town in, and though he looked dirty, he did not appear sick or injured. Napoka noted that for now, there’re plenty of berries and greens on the tundra for Hawk to eat.
Search and Rescue goes out looking for the missing man every few days.
Anna Rose MacArthur is a reporter at KYUK in Bethel.
