Alaska News

Rough weather is complicating search for missing hunters

Rough weather in Prince William Sound is complicating the search for three hunters who have not been heard from since Friday afternoon, said Jon-Paul Rios, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman.

"We searched throughout the night, " said Jon-Paul Rios, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman. "Weather is making it harder on our boat crew."

The hunters contacted a family member Friday afternoon to say they were on their way back from Montague Island in the Gulf of Alaska at the entry of Prince William Sound. They were traveling in a 20-foot Duckworth jet boat. The engine wasn't working, so they were relying on "a kicker," or small outboard motor, Rios said. At most, it can travel 15 miles per hour, he said.

"It's not the most favorable engine to have," he said.

There is a gale warning in effect for the area Sunday with winds of 35 knots and seas at 9 feet and a snow storm expected, according to the National Weather Service.

[Coast Guard searches for 3 men overdue in small boat near Whittier]

Julia O'Malley

Anchorage-based Julia O'Malley is a former ADN reporter, columnist and editor. She received a James Beard national food writing award in 2018, and a collection of her work, "The Whale and the Cupcake: Stories of Subsistence, Longing, and Community in Alaska," was published in 2019. She's currently writer in residence at the Anchorage Museum.

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