A hunting trip near Pilot Station went awry earlier this week resulting in the drowning of a resident of Pitkas Point.
Late Monday night, Alaska State Troopers from Emmonak investigated a boating accident in a creek near Pilot Station. Derek Sipary, Noel Tinker, and Thaddeus Riley were on a moose hunting trip when their boat struck a submerged log, causing them to be thrown from the boat.
All three Pitkas Point locals swam for something stable, but Riley was taken underwater by the current and did not surface. 20-year-old Sipary and 24-year-old Tinker were located safely by search operations and brought back to Pitkas Point without injuries.
Riley was found Tuesday afternoon without a life jacket, and his remains were released to his next of kin. A funeral service will be held for Riley at St. Mary’s school gymnasium on August 12th at 2:00pm. He was 25 years old.
