The body of Luki Akelkok III was found Saturday, ending a multi-day search for the 28-year-old Dillingham man who went missing after his boat sank near Whittier in bad weather, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Akelkok was on the boat with 28-year-old Anchorage man Stefan Weingarth. Weingarth was found dead Wednesday night. The two men had been returning to Whittier from a hunt on Esther Island earlier that day when they encountered rough seas and high winds. Weingarth contacted another group of boaters to report that they were five minutes outside of Whittier and sinking, said troopers. Bad weather hampered the rescue.
On Saturday, Aklelkok’s family and the boat’s owner were in Whittier to retrieve the capsized skiff.
Around noon, they found the boat about nine miles northeast of Whittier, said troopers. Thirty minutes later and about 200 yards from the boat, they found Akelkok’s remains in two feet of water.
Troopers said a life jacket wasn’t on Akelkok when his body was found. Troopers said his body had drifted about five miles before coming to rest.
His body was transported to the State Medical Examiner Office in Anchorage.
