The Alaska State Troopers received a report on December 11, 2023, at 7:09 am, of two overdue snowmachiners who were traveling from Teller to Nome. An adult male and adult female were using a single snowmachine to drive the Nome-Teller Road and didn’t reach their destination. Search teams from Teller and Nome were requested to initiate a ground search. Teller SAR Team was initially unavailable, and Nome SAR was able to make it to mile 23 before having to return due to a ground storm. The Alaska State Troopers chartered a helicopter to search from the air; however, weather prevented the helicopter from flying in the search area. The Alaska National Guard deployed a C130 to the search area, which located a snowmachine near mile 41 with no signs of the two. A Teller-based SAR team was unable to reach the site overnight due to the poor weather, and road-clearing crews from Nome were also unable to make it to the site from the Nome side. Teams are working to make it to the snowmachine; however, extreme weather is preventing a safe method of travel for ground or aerial teams. Once weather allows, search teams will travel to the area.
On December 12, 2023, at 3:15 pm, a search team arrived at the location where the snowmachine was observed by the C130, and located Charlene Habros, age 34 of Nome, and Dustin Gologergen, age 55 of Nome, deceased. Next of Kin have been notified.
With the assistance of the Alaska Army National Guard and Nome SAR the bodies of Habros and Gologergen have been recovered and transported to Nome. Their bodies will be sent to the State Medical Examiners Office in Anchorage for autopsy. Next of kin have been notified.
