Sand Lake Canoe Flips – 1 Missing

Just minutes before 2:00 a.m. this morning Anchorage Fire Department personnel responded to their second water rescue operation in less than 12 hours.  AFD Dispatchers answered a 911 call from a distressed man who reported he and another man were canoeing in Sand Lake when the canoe flipped.  The caller had successfully swam to shore before making the call for help and believed the other person was still in the water.  Neither person in the canoe was wearing a personal flotation device.

Ten rescue apparatus were dispatched with divers and support personnel.  APD officers were also on location assisting with gathering information of the last know location of the canoe.  Fire officials along with APD quickly determine the best access into the lake would be from a private property at the end of W. 80^th off Sand Lake Rd.  Rescuers first had to interview the survivor and triangulate the area where he believed the canoe had flipped based on landmarks visible from the shoreline.  The survivor was also evaluated by AFD Medics who declined treatment.

AFD Divers commenced under water operations for nearly a half hour before calling off the search.  Search criterion is based largely on the time from when the incident is reported up to when it’s no longer considered viable to find survivors, after which it is considered a recovery operation.  AFD Rescuers terminated the search a little over one hour after the 911 call was made without success.  A shoreline search was also made with no findings or evidence the missing person had made it safely to shore.  The rescue operations were conducted during the hours of darkness which limited visibility in the water and surrounding areas.

The missing person is a male in his early 20’s.  No other details are available.  Continued search or recovery operations will be determined later today.