Search efforts for a Unalakleet woman missing for nearly a week were suspended Monday, Alaska State Troopers said. There have been no signs of the woman, despite extensive search efforts by dozens of volunteers supported by troopers.
Vivian Foote, 74, was last seen Wednesday. At about 2 p.m. that day, Foote's daughter tried to pick her up from her home for a flight to Anchorage, but she wasn't there.
"It was an ongoing search all weekend," trooper spokesperson Megan Peters said.
Roughly 120 people were involved in the search for Foote last week, at times moving shoulder to shoulder across the ground to try and locate her.
According to search coordinator Middy Johnson, a major Bering Sea storm hitting much of Western Alaska with strong winds and snow has forced searchers to suspend all efforts to find Foote until at least Wednesday.
"We just can't put anybody out there in this stuff -- there's no sense in doing it," Johnson said.
Over the weekend, a team of search dogs -- their travel costs covered by donations to a crowdfunding website -- was able to examine the immediate area for Foote.
"Saturday we had four search dogs come in, three from Fairbanks and one from Anchorage -- we were able to search half the community with the dogs during the light," Johnson said. "Sunday we finished off the community and the close areas to town with the dogs."
The dogs were flown back to their homes as the storm approached, however.
Johnson said searchers in Unalakleet and other nearby communities were weighing their options, including a possible coastal search by boat later this week.
"We just have to wait for better weather," Johnson said.
Searchers are asking on their Facebook page that anyone who has seen Foote or has word on her whereabouts call 907-625-1045 or 907-625-1316.