The Coast Guard rescued two hunters on Thursday that were stranded for six days on Mount Kelly, north of Kotzebue.
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak C-130 Hercules aircraft crew deployed from the air station’s Forward Operating Location in Kotzebue. They flew over Mount Kelly to locate the hunters and assess the weather ahead of an MH-60 Jayhawk crew deployed from Forward Operating Location Kotzebue to pick up the stranded hunters.
Watchstanders in the 17th District command center in Juneau received the initial request from Alaska State Troopers for an agency assist at noon. The stranded hunters reported 70 mph winds, which prevented a commercial transporter from picking the hunters up.
Lieutenant Benjamin Wolhaupter: “Having the C-130 on scene helped us out a lot. They were able to find the hunters’ exact location and give us the coordinates.”
A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft infrared camera captures two stranded hunters on Mount Kelly. [Image Courtesy DVIDS]
The two hunters were dropped off at Kotzebue Airport. On-scene weather at the time of rescue included an air temperature of 25 degrees Fahrenheit, 30 mph winds, and a 17 mile visibility.
