Copyright Anchorage Daily News
One man has died and one remains missing after a group of Kotzebue men on a snowmachine and two four-wheelers fell through sea ice near the town on Saturday, Alaska State Troopers said. Troopers said in an online release updated Sunday that they received a report late Saturday morning that the group had gone through the ice north of Kotzebue near Lockhart Point in Northwest Alaska. One man made it to shore safely, one man was rescued and another remained missing as of Monday morning. All three were from Kotzebue. One was on a snowmachine, while the other two were each on a four-wheeler, troopers spokesman Justin Freeman said Monday. All three went through the ice and into the water, Freeman said. The man rescued, identified as 46-year-old Elmer Brown Sr. of Kotzebue, died Saturday at a local health clinic, troopers said. Search efforts continued for the missing man, who has not been identified. The Northwest Arctic Borough posted a warning over the weekend urging locals to stay away from the area unless they were coordinating with search and rescue team members. “The ice is not safe,” the borough warned. Before troopers were notified about the incident, multiple local EMT personnel and community members came to the area to provide medical assistance and look for the missing man, according to the state’s release. Members of Northwest Arctic Borough search and rescue team and Kotzebue Fire Department responded. Troopers are coordinating with the Northwest Arctic Borough search and rescue program as well as other local agencies. The borough posted a callout for people with boats to help in the search on Sunday afternoon.
