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Searchers locate remains of 1 of 2 men missing after Mekoryuk skiff sinking

Mekoryuk, on Nunivak Island.
NOAA ShoreZone
Mekoryuk, on Nunivak Island.

Searchers have located the remains of one of the two men who went missing after a skiff they were traveling in sank near Mekoryuk, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The body of 65-year-old Albert Williams was located on Wednesday, May 28 on the east side of Nunivak Island around 20 miles from Mekoryuk, troopers said. Local individuals, Alaska State Troopers, a United States Coast Guard vessel, and a Bethel-based National Guard helicopter joined in the search.

The body of a second man who is missing, 72-year-old Samuel Shavings, has not been located. Troopers said that the search for Shavings' body has been suspended after "extensive search efforts" by boat and air.

Three men were traveling in the Ocean Pro skiff when it sank on May 26, according to troopers. One man was able to swim to shore.

The local searchers who found Williams' remains planned to transport his body back to Mekoryuk once ocean conditions allowed for safe passage, according to a trooper dispatch.
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Sage Smiley