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Authorities believe the two individuals had been on the boat
based on evidence found at the site Monday, including buoys and
other gear associated with the Wind Walker, Austin McDaniel, a
spokesperson with the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said
by email Tuesday.
The bodies were being taken to the state medical examiner’s
office for autopsies and positive identification, the department
said. Relatives of the five people who were missing after the
boat disappeared were notified that two bodies had been found,
McDaniel said.
Authorities on Monday traveled to a bay east of the community of
Hoonah after a beachcomber reported finding the remains and
debris, which included fishing gear and survival suits from the
boat, according to the department and McDaniel. Crews with dog
teams searched about 5 miles (8 kilometers) of shoreline but no
other human remains were found, according to the department.
The site is about 12-13 miles (19-21 kilometers) southwest of
the Wind Walker's last known location, McDaniel said. Hoonah is
about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Juneau.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the crew of the Wind Walker
sent a mayday call at 12:10 a.m. Dec. 1, indicating the 50-foot
(15-meter) boat was overturning off Point Couverden, southwest
of Juneau. The Coast Guard tried to get more information as it
mobilized a response, but the crew didn’t respond.
The search was suspended Dec. 2, pending any new information.
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