Brandon Cleveland, 21, Roger Cleveland, 29, and others from the village of Ambler were setting fish traps on the river sometime before 1 a.m. Tuesday, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said. At least one witness saw both men on a white Arctic Cat 800 snowmachine as they attempted to "skip" the snowmachine over open water on the Kobuk, Peters said.
"Initially, when the snowmachine sank, they were above the surface and somebody tried to throw a rope to them," Peters said. "But, I was told, the current was too strong and they succumbed and were pulled under the surface."
Volunteer searchers in Ambler drove a boat to the men, pulled them from the river and attempted to revive them, troopers said. The two men were declared dead at about 3 a.m. Tuesday, Peters said.
It was unclear Wednesday who was driving the snowmachine or how the two men were related, Peters said.
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