Update, Saturday:
Alaska State Troopers have identified the two men presumed dead after their ATV went through river ice Thursday as 42-year-old Sean Kendall of Anchorage and 32-year-old Skye Rench of Wasilla.
Troopers said they have ended their active search after two days and no new updates.
Original story:
Two people are presumed dead after their ATV broke through river ice Thursday in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Three others in the group were able to climb out of the water, according to Alaska State Troopers.
The five adults had been conducting work in the area for Alaska Directional Drilling and a private contractor, troopers said.
Troopers got a report around 8:45 a.m. Thursday that the group's side-by-side ATV had gone through the ice on the Susitna River, about 8 air miles upstream of the river's mouth.
“Three people were able to get out of the water, but two were reported to have gone under the ice in the current,” troopers said in an online dispatch.
The people who got out of the river walked to a nearby work camp, troopers said, where they were picked up by a chartered helicopter. None required medical assistance.
A trooper helicopter and a state plane responded to the area, but were unable to find the missing riders. On Friday, search efforts continued and included state, Civil Air Patrol and Alaska Army National Guard aircraft.
“Ice in the area is unstable and search efforts other than by aircraft are not possible at this time,” troopers said.
Tess Williams, a troopers spokesperson, said the two people swept under the ice are presumed dead.
“Unfortunately, based on the circumstances Troopers do not believe that the missing men are alive,” she said.
The search comes as much of Alaska deals with an unseasonably warm winter, which has affected everything from the state’s wildfire season to sporting events like the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Williams noted Friday that in Southcentral Alaska, “snow and ice conditions are not what many Alaskans come to expect in early March.”
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“Extreme caution should be used when participating in backcountry activities especially those in mountainous areas prone to avalanches and when crossing or recreating on ice,” Williams said. “Always check conditions, including avalanche forecasting and ice thickness before proceeding, tell someone where you are going and when you will return, bring a communication device and dress for the conditions.”
Alaska’s ice fatalities this winter include the November death of 32-year-old Adrian “Aya” Andrew, after his ATV drove into a hole on the frozen Kuskokwim River.
Last month in Haines, 79-year-old Thomas McGuire went through ice while skating on Chilkoot Lake. His body was recovered a week later.
State officials recommend at least 5 to 6 inches of clear ice depth to support ATVs or snowmachines on frozen lakes or rivers, with at least 4 inches required for ice fishing or ice skating. People should stay off ice 2 inches or thinner.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Correction:Citing initial information from Alaska State Troopers, an earlier version of this story misstated where the ATV went through the river ice and the company the riders worked for. Troopers later clarified it was the Susitna River, not the Little Susitna River, and the riders worked for Alaska Directional Drilling and a private contractor, not Hilcorp, as initially reported by troopers.
