Searchers find overdue snowmachiner

Alaska State Troopers received a report on December 20, 2023, at 5:19 am, that Ethan Lewis, age 26 of Kipnuk, ran out of gas while traveling in a blizzard from Kipnuk to Chefornak during the middle of the night. Chefornak Search and Rescue and Kipnuk Search and Rescue deployed searchers via snowmachine. RCC launched a C-130 to assist the search efforts from the air. At approximately 10:33pm on the 20th, ground search volunteers from Chefornak located Lewis near his snowmachine, alive on the tundra near Kipnuk and all returned safely to Kipnuk.