Outdoors/Adventure

Cries for help lead to fruitless search effort near Alaska glacier

A man's apparent cries for help launched search efforts near Juneau's Mendenhall Glacier Monday, Alaska State Troopers said. Despite a concerted effort, no one was found in distress.

In a dispatch, troopers wrote that a hiking party on East Glacier Trail, near Nugget Falls, heard a male voice calling for help shortly before 2:30 p.m. An employee from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center also heard the yell, troopers wrote.

At 3:15 p.m. a helicopter belonging to flightseeing tour company Temsco flew over and performed a hasty search, but was unable to find anyone in need of assistance.

Five search teams, with two search dogs, gathered at the trailhead and conducted a search of the area. The parties consisted of searchers from the Capital City Fire Rescue, Juneau Mountain Rescue, and K-9 search and rescue group SEADOGS.

As of about 9 p.m. Monday, "no additional clues have been identified and the last call for help was heard at (3:02 p.m.) by searchers," troopers wrote.

Capital City Fire Rescue Chief Richard Etheridge said the terrain the call was reported to have come from is rocky, and "lightly forested," with mostly alder trees. He said the trail was dry Monday, and the weather was overcast with temperatures in the mid-40s.

Troopers said they had no reports of an overdue hiker or missing person as of 9 a.m. Tuesday.

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"I don't believe anyone maliciously called in a false report," Etheridge said. "The layout is kind of like an amphitheater and sound travels. Ravens have the ability to make a wide variety of sounds. So, we don't know if someone heard a bird or if someone got stuck and was able to get free."

Etheridge said his department had not been called back to assist.

Search efforts have been suspended, but will resume if any additional clues are identified, troopers wrote.

Megan Edge

Megan Edge is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News.

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