UPDATE – 12-04-21 – The owner of the vessel involved with the initial SAR and other family members of Luki Akelkok III responded to Whittier to help locate and retrieve the vessel that capsized on 12-01-21. At approximately 12:10 p.m., those same persons located the vessel in Logging Camp Bay, which is located approximately 9 miles northeast of Whittier. Approximately 30 minutes later, the remains of missing person / boater – Luki Akelkok III, was found approximately 200 yards from the vessel and offshore in 2 feet of water. At the time of the body recovery, Luki was not observed to be wearing a PFD. It appears the body of Luki drifted approximately 5 miles before coming to rest.
Alaska Wildlife Troopers responded to conduct a follow up investigation and the body of Luki is being transported to Anchorage per the request of the State Medical Examiner’s Office. Luki’s next of kin and the USCG have been advised of the recovery.
ORIGINAL – Alaska State Troopers, in a press release, report that an Anchorage man is dead and an Dillingham resident is still missing after inclement weather led to their boat sinking. Troopers were dispatched to report a vessel was sinking near Whittier on December 1st at 6:48 p.m. A further investigation revealed a group of two vessels with two people onboard each had been hunting deer on Esther Island in Prince William Sound and were returning separately to Whittier Wednesday afternoon.
One of the vessels arrived in Whittier at 3:30 p.m. The other vessel, a 20-foot aluminum Lund skiff operated by 28-year-old Luki Akelkok of Dillingham with passenger 28-year-old Stefan Weingarth of Anchorage, and four deer and two seals onboard, encountered inclement weather conditions on the way back to Whittier.
At 5:53 p.m., Weingarth contacted the other boat operator who was already en route back to Anchorage to report the bow of their vessel was underwater, they were five minutes outside of Whittier, and they were sinking. The on-scene weather at the time was described by witnesses as seas of six feet with white caps on top of the waves, winds blowing 40 knots, and dark skies. U.S. Coast Guard D17 Juneau and USGC Sector Anchorage were contacted, and they immediately coordinated a multi-search-and-rescue platform response utilizing a vessel and aircraft from Valdez, however, their response was hampered due to bad weather while en route.
At 10:13 p.m., the USCG reported 1 unidentified person was located deceased and wearing a lifejacket approximately 5 miles northeast of Whittier in Passage Canal, near Trinity Point. In addition, the missing vessel was located, and one person was still missing and unaccounted for. The USCG continued to remain on scene and resume the search. By 3:10 a.m. the following morning, Whittier Police met with USCG vessel crews to receive and tentatively identify the recovered remains of Weingarth. The remains are being transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage.
Search and rescue efforts continued to be hampered with severe weather conditions as winds blew 50-60 knots. Alaska Wildlife Troopers have responded to Whittier to assist with the search. A USCG cutter from Seward has also responded and is on the scene. In addition, a USCG helicopter from Kodiak is assisting.
Akelkok remains missing. Next of kin has been notified and the search continues.
