Rural Alaska

Search ongoing for Tuluksak man who walked away from village last week

Searchers from Southwest Alaska are looking for a Tuluksak man missing since he walked out of his village last week, with no sign of him found so far.

Mike Riley, president of Bethel Search and Rescue, said the group has been working with Bethel-based Alaska State Troopers to search for 43-year-old Walter Hawk.

Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters said in an email Thursday that Hawk was first reported missing Sunday by a Tuluksak tribal police officer, after he was last seen overnight July 12 at a family member's home.

"Walter is a vulnerable adult," Peters wrote. "When family awoke on (July 13) they could not find him."

Subsequent search efforts by Tuluksak Search and Rescue involved checking all homes near the village, as well as visiting every fish camp in the vicinity.

"He had no gear, no nothing; he was wearing a blue sweater and that's it," Riley said.

Word that Hawk was missing reached Bethel SAR earlier this week, Riley said, with members of the group accompanying a trooper pilot on an aerial search Tuesday.

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Surrounding villages, as well as the Bethel Police Department, have been notified.

On Wednesday, about half a dozen Bethel-based searchers scoured the Fog River by boat while residents of Tuluksak, located roughly 35 miles northeast of Bethel, conducted a ground search on all-terrain vehicles.

"Right now we have no other leads of where he might be," Riley said. "Our crew was out until 11:00 last night and we didn't find anything."

Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters confirmed Thursday a search for Hawk was underway this week, but didn't immediately have details on its status from the troopers involved.

More search teams were being deployed Thursday morning, Riley said.

Chris Klint

Chris Klint is a former ADN reporter who covered breaking news.

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