A Seward man died Monday when the boat in which he and two friends were riding sank on the Twentymile River east of Girdwood.
The 16-foot aluminum boat was heading upriver on a moose hunt when its propeller hit a log about 4.5 miles north of the Seward Highway, according to the Alaska State Troopers. A swift current pushed the powerless boat backward into a tangle of more logs. The boat's aft section filled with water and it started sinking, troopers said.
As the boat overturned, it dumped its three occupants: Seward resident Harold Moore, 69, and Anchorage residents Ronald Cone, 55, and his son Nathan Cone, 29. The friends were starting a special draw permit hunt in the Twentymile drainage, said troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen.
Ronald and Nathan Cone made their way to a riverbank and called 911 just after 5 p.m. as Moore floated downstream, troopers said.
Two Girdwood-based troopers and a U.S. Forest Service officer with a jet boat rushed to the area. They picked up the Cones and recovered Moore's body, Ipsen said.
Moore was wearing a full flotation suit, Ipsen said. The elder Cone had a life jacket, and his son wore no personal flotation device, she said.
The cause of Moore's death was unclear Tuesday, pending an autopsy, Ipsen said. The troopers spokeswoman said she did not know who was driving the boat.
Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.
By CASEY GROVE