A search is continuing for a Ketchikan man who was last seen Wednesday night on a mountain near the Southeast Alaska community, Alaska State Troopers said Friday.
Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said the call reporting 22-year-old Justin Nathan overdue, after he was last seen near the summit of Deer Mountain, came in from a teenage boy who was hiking with Nathan at about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday. The teen continued downhill, after Nathan stopped because he said he wasn't able to descend the mountain.
"It was reported to us that Nathan had been consuming alcohol while hiking," Peters reported. "The 17-year-old described Nathan as being intoxicated and having trouble with his footing on the descent."
Troopers launched a search for Nathan, which Peters said included a helicopter and assistance from Nathan's family Friday. A Friday dispatch on the search said they were also backed by members of the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad.
According to a writer on the Experience Ketchikan website who climbed the 3,001-foot mountain, which has a 2.5-mile trail to its summit, the hike is classified as difficult.
"It has steep switchbacks, which translates to lots of steps (hard on the knees!), rocky and uneven surfaces, conditions can get muddy (and snowy) in places, (and) some areas may be difficult to navigate," the reviewer wrote.
Peters described Nathan's clothing during the hike as relatively lightweight.
"He was reportedly wearing jeans and a hoodie," Peters said. "He might have had a jacket shell."