A man from Pilot Station who was riding a snowmachine with another person died Friday evening after they fell through the ice on the Yukon River, Alaska State Troopers said.
Around 7 p.m. Friday, a village police officer in the Western Alaska community reported to troopers in St. Mary’s that a person had fallen through river ice near Pilot Station, troopers wrote in an online report. An investigation found that 59-year-old Nicky Myers and another person were crossing the river, both on one snowmachine, when the ice gave way, according to troopers.
“The other person was able to make it out of the river and call for help on his cell phone,” troopers wrote.
Village police officers, Pilot Station Search and Rescue and family reached the site of the fall and recovered Myers from the river, but he was dead by the time they pulled him out, troopers wrote. Next of kind was notified and investigators don’t suspect foul play, according to troopers.
The state medical examiner will perform an autopsy.