A pair of CRR members
participated in a successful search effort Saturday and Sunday, March 29th
& 30th, 2008. Randy Crosby and Joe Gauna played a role in
locating a lost camper in Denali State Park. A 12 year old boy,
participating in a winter campout about a mile and half northwest of
milepost 127 of the Parks Highway, became separated from his group of
snowmobilers and spent the night walking
the North Loop winter use trail in Denali State Park.
The young rider, after being separated
from the group around 6:30 pm Saturday, apparently became disoriented as
to his location and became stuck just off the North Loop Trail, about
two and half miles north of the encampment. Details of his activities
through the night are sketchy but when Crosby and Gauna found the
snowmobile, stuck in a snow bank about 25 feet off the trail, against an
alder thicket, the riders helmet was in the rack, indicating that he may
have gotten warm trying to extricate the snowmobile. Water bottles,
packed by one of the camping leaders, were absent, which suggested the
rider took them with him when he left the scene.
Leaders of the camping group notified
state troopers shortly after the snowmobiling group returned and
reported that they were missing one rider. Gauna, a land and cabin
owner near the site, on his way to the cabin, stopped in at the camp
about 9:00 pm Saturday, to say hello and check on the group. When
apprised of the situation, he contacted Randy Crosby, a long-time local
resident, building contractor and avid snowmobiler familiar with the
area. They met with the camp leader, got as much information as they
could, gassed up and started a grid search of the area, concentrating on
the north-south swamps that dominate the area, with an emphasis to the
north.
Crosby later met with state troopers,
showed them maps of the area and suggested search areas for the
helicopter to cover, then returned to the on-the-ground search. Other
local cabin owners and residents had been alerted by the early hours of
Sunday, including groups from Petersville and Talkeetna. By 5 AM,
Crosby and Gauna had ridden about 90 miles, checking the verges of the
swamps for the rider’s snowmobile tracks or footprints in the snow,
which were quickly being covered by a 4 inch snowfall. They ranged
north from the camp site to Tokosha Mountain Lodge, in the national
park, enlisting the aid of John Neill, lodge owner, and as far west as
Swan Lake, an area covering about 30 square miles.
About 9 AM, returning for more fuel and
a check in with state troopers and state park ranger Dan Valentine,
Crosby and Gauna made a brief stop on the North Loop Trail, where it
leaves Denali State Park and heads east, toward the gravel pit at
milepost 131 of the Parks Highway. While discussing possible next
steps, Crosby noticed some depressions in the newly fallen but
undisturbed snow on the trail. Cautioning Gauna to stay put, he
followed the faint tracks to the east and came upon the stuck and
abandoned snowmobile. He and Gauna then followed the wandering tracks
into and out of the woods, then back to the trail, where they appeared
to head north, back into the state park. Crosby, walking north and
calling the boy’s name, thought he may have heard a response.
Encouraged, he mounted up and started north, stopping often and
continuing to call out. Gauna remained on site, coordinating
communication and making contact with camping group leaders, state
troopers and other searchers.
By this time, search groups had arrived
in the area, as well as Dan Valentine, state parks ranger. Valentine
directed the searchers as to a pattern to follow and conferred with
state troopers. An Air National Guard helicopter, on site since late
the night before, landed, confirmed information with Valentine, then
took to the air to continue the effort. Crosby, continued north,
following the trail and calling out, hoping to hear a response.
Valentine and Neill, to the west, of the tree line near the trail, also
headed north, eyeing the edge of the forest. Valentine spotted the
youngster and alerted Crosby and Neill, who converged on the boy,
trading his wet gloves for dry and putting Valentines coat over his
shoulders. The now-found boy was cold, hungry and very thirsty but
overall in good condition, possibly because he spent the majority of the
night hiking back and forth as the search helicopter flew its pattern.
The rescuee was put aboard the
helicopter and flown to waiting ambulances at milepost 131 about 10 am
Sunday.
