A 20-year-old man from the US state of Illinois died Sunday evening after he became stranded in the Turnagain Arm area of Alaksa and rescuers were unable to reach him before the tide came in, the Anchorage News Daily reports.
Turnagain Arm is a waterway in the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is one of two narrow arms at the north end of Cook Inlet, the other being Knik Arm. Turnagain is subject to extreme climates and large tidal ranges.
Zachary Porter was hiking with a group of friends when he got stuck in the mud around 6 p.m. One of his friends immediately called 911. At that point, Porter was 20-30 meters from shore , said Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston.
When rescuers arrived, the young man was stuck up to the middle in the mud, said Austin McDaniel, a representative of the local police. Four fire engines from Girdwood arrived at the scene, along with two helicopters, to assist fire crews from Hope.
The young man’s friends tried to pull him out of the mud, as did rescuers when they arrived, but the tide covered him with water before 6.45pm.
Girdwood rescue crews arrived on the scene when the victim was already covered in water. The body of the young man was recovered on Monday morning, around 6 o’clock.
The last similar case took place 30 years ago, in 1988, when an 18-year-old girl got stuck in the mud and died, local media write.
Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston says the shorelines and tides around Anchorage are very dangerous. The mud has the consistency of quicksand and people can get trapped in it. They are unpredictable and safe places to park can change. At the same time, the tide is coming in fast. A man died in 2013 when he was caught in rising water while traveling between Anchorage and Fire Island.
In general, the Girdwood Fire Department rescues a few people from the mud each year. Firefighters use a special device that sprays high-pressure water or air into the luck to fracture it and extract the captive.
Editor : V.M.
