A search operation is set to resume on Tuesday for a woman who went missing in the partially frozen Eagle River in southeastern Alaska, authorities announced. The incident occurred on Saturday near the north fork of the river, approximately 20 miles outside of downtown Anchorage. The woman, along with a man, was walking their dogs along a trail adjacent to a section of Eagle River, according to Alaska state troopers. As one of their dogs ran into the water, both individuals entered the river in an attempt to rescue the animal. Unfortunately, the woman disappeared under the water during the search, while the man remained unharmed. The identities of both individuals have not been disclosed.
According to Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska state troopers, it is believed that the woman "was swept underneath the ice downriver." He further mentioned that a significant portion of the river in the area where she vanished has frozen over. The search operation will continue in hopes of locating the missing woman.
Sources: Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Daily News
Troopers Respond to Missing Woman in Eagle River
Troopers responded to an incident in Eagle River on Saturday afternoon after being contacted by the Anchorage Police Department. An active search and rescue operation was already underway at the time, with a wildlife trooper joining the ground search and Alaska's public safety department initiating a helicopter search for the missing woman. Initial investigations by Anchorage police and fire officials found no signs of the woman in the area, and subsequent efforts by divers and a state-level rescue and recovery crew were also unsuccessful in locating her.
In a Facebook post, the dive and recovery team involved in the search stated that they could only perform an assessment of the area before dark on Saturday. They announced plans to deploy on the morning of December 24th for a recovery mission in Eagle River. Due to the risks associated with working in the dark on thin ice over moving water, the team decided to wait for adequate daylight to begin the mission.
Search efforts have been hindered by the limited periods of sunlight in late December, with southern Alaska experiencing only about 5 1/2 hours of light each day. State troopers confirmed that the search for the missing woman ended for the day after sunset and would resume after sunrise. However, as of Sunday night, the woman had still not been found. Crews have searched under the ice covering part of Eagle River during daylight hours at several areas of interest. The search operations will not continue until daylight hours on Tuesday.
