Two mountain goat hunters who were stranded in extreme weather conditions on the East side of Kachemak Bay were rescued last week by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC).
According to Department of Public Safety Communications Director Austin McDaniel, the hunters were located by AKRCC at a high elevation in harsh weather conditions. “The two hunters reported high winds and really wet rain conditions, and the area they were located in is described as a high mountain bowl,” McDaniel said.
Alaska State Troopers received a report of a SPOT GPS SOS at approximately 4:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Sep. 4. Additional information provided via a 2-way GPS device indicated two goat-hunters were stranded next to a small pond in the mountain depression 18 miles East of Homer, near Halibut Cove, at an elevation of approximately 2,800 feet.
The DPS dispatch on the incident says that the hunters’ shelter was failing as weather conditions worsened. They “were unable to self-extricate on foot due to terrain and weather conditions and were showing signs of the onset of hypothermia.”
At this point AKRCC was contacted and accepted the mission.
Both individuals were rescued and taken to the Homer Airport.