Alaska Beat

Father, son hunting duo airlifted out of Wrangell Mountains

Using a satellite phone, sheep hunter William Beasley Sr., 53, of Big Lake, and his son Kendall called the 11th Air Force Recue Coordination Center in Anchorage earlier this week, seeking help after falling ill in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

"He was sick, dehydrated and immobile, so we advised the (Alaska State) troopers and (National) park service of the situation," Tech Sgt. Gail Paculba, the RCC duty controller for the Alaska Air National Guard told the Tim Mowry of the Fairbanks News-Miner.

Shortly after receiving the call late Monday afternoon, an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter was launched from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to a section of the park near the Canadian border. Within two hours, they'd picked up the father and his 14-year-old son and flew them to Gakona, where National Park Service rangers took over.

The two men were later taken to Cross Road Medical Center in Glennallen and released.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

ADVERTISEMENT