Kenai

Body of Colorado fisherman found near mouth of Kenai River

A body found last week near the mouth of the Kenai River has been identified by the State Medical Examiner's Office as that of missing fisherman Phillip Keltner of Colorado.

Keltner, 63, was reported missing Aug. 4 after he and three other people were thrown from an "out of control" boat on the river near Centennial Park in Soldotna. None of them were wearing a life jacket, Alaska State Troopers said.

Keltner was "last seen floating down river and had reportedly gone under water," troopers said at the time. The other three people swam to shore.

Searches were launched for Keltner, and almost a dozen of his family members flew to Alaska to try to find him.

[Family of missing Colorado man gathers in Alaska to help find him]

Family described Keltner as an avid fisherman who split his time between Colorado and a home in Sterling.

His body was found Sept. 12 at the river's North Beach Area in Kenai, troopers said.

Keltner's remains were released to his family, troopers said Monday.

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

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