A search continued Sunday on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks where a man went missing in the water Friday, a day before a Yukon River boater was reported overdue.
With prayers and Gwich’in singing, the family of Elia Ansaknok gathered Sunday morning to resume searching for his body in the Chena River. Elia’s uncle, David Solomon of Copper Center led family members in song, as Fairbanks police and Alaska State Troopers launched three boats yesterday at Graehl Landing to dredge the river below the pedestrian bridge where Ansaknok went into the river.
The Fairbanks Fire Department received a report at 1:42 p.m. Friday that a man jumped or fell off the Chena River pedestrian bridge, and was seen briefly struggling in the water. Since then, searchers from local fire and police agencies, troopers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Tanana Chiefs Conference have dragged the river.
Ansaknok’s family, including some who traveled in from Fort Yukon and elsewhere around the region, have been standing vigil under canopies in the park at Graehl Landing.
Solomon said the family is providing sandwiches and drinks for the searchers, and accepting donations of gasoline and oil for the boats as well as food, paper plates, cups and plasticware.
This is the second tragedy for the Ansaknok family in two months; on June 17, Andrew Ansaknok drowned in the Yukon River at Fort Yukon.
A search is also ongoing for a boater near Fort Yukon.
According to an online trooper dispatch, troopers were notified Saturday that Robert Peter was overdue traveling from Circle to Fort Yukon.
Aircraft and boats are involved in the search effort which includes troopers, Fish and Wildlife Service officers and area residents.
Anyone with information about Peter’s whereabouts is asked to contact Fairbanks troopers at 907-451-5100.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
