THE ALASKA STORY
Sept. 27, 2026 – The Alaska National Guard’s work reaches well beyond national security. Earlier this month, its aircraft and rescue crews were called into Arctic Alaska to bring home four hunters stranded along two remote rivers.
The Sept. 18 operation began when two hunters on the banks of the Koness River, about 250 miles northeast of Fairbanks, sent an SOS through a two-way satellite device. Alaska State Troopers requested help from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which called on the Alaska Air National Guard’s 176th Wing.
A rescue helicopter launched from Eielson Air Force Base, while an HC-130 aircraft flew from JBER with additional rescue personnel aboard. The HC-130 refueled the helicopter in the air, giving it the range to reach the hunters. Guided by coordinates from the SOS device, the helicopter crew found the pair. Rescue Airmen descended by hoist, made contact and lifted both hunters aboard.
Before that mission was over, Troopers reported a second call for help. Two more hunters had used a satellite device to signal distress from the Sheenjek River, about 30 miles west of the first rescue. The helicopter flew to their coordinates, landed nearby and picked them up. All four hunters were taken to Eielson AFB and released to Troopers.
The back-to-back rescues show what the Guard’s aircraft, crews and specialized training mean to Alaskans far from roads or reliable cell service. In this case, two satellite distress signals brought help to two separate hunting parties during a single flight.
The Rescue Coordination Center urges people heading into the backcountry this hunting season to carry a satellite communication device and leave their itinerary with someone at home.
Read original report by David Bedard Alaska National Guard Public Affairs at this link.
3 thoughts on “Four hunters, two rivers, one flight: Alaska Air National Guard rescues stranded parties in the Arctic”
Makes you wonder what happened with both hunting parties. Weather?
Raging rivers, creeks, and streams from all of the rain has stranded many hunters this fall. There have been four wheelers lost and some near drownings. Even one drowning on the Wood River.
Very commendable service provided by our Air National Guard ! We should be proud of our boys and girls.
I wonder however about the parties involved and the nature of their distress. Me thinks perhaps, that too many greenhorn punk ass weekend warriors with modern electronics might be part of the problem here. Having survived a legion of Alaskan wilderness adventures and some near fatal mishaps during 7 different decades, many solo affairs, I can attest that most situations can be figured out without helicopters and Hercules flying overhead.
Has survival of the fittest been replaced with another womb to the tomb Government Safety Net?
Perish the thought.