Body recovered downstream of Carlanna Lake Dam

Ketchikan’s Carlanna Lake was created by a dam, and includes a popular hiking trail. The watershed is a backup source of water for the City of Ketchikan. (KRBD file photo by Leila Kheiry)

The body of a woman was recovered Thursday morning downstream from Ketchikan’s Carlanna Lake Dam.

While the body has not yet been identified, the Ketchikan Police Department sent an announcement Friday noting that the body was found close to the last known location of a young woman missing for about a month.

Police Chief Joe White said police were notified on Oct. 21^st that a 24-year-old Ketchikan woman was missing.

“On the 22^nd and 23^rd we started questioning people, trying to figure out the last known place she was at, who she was with,” he said. “And we came across information that somebody believed they had seen her up at the Carlanna Lake Dam the afternoon of the 1^st.”

White said police searched the area, and found some items that appeared to belong to the missing woman. On Wednesday, police, Alaska State Troopers and Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad members searched the area but didn’t find anything.

KVRS went back the next day with search dogs. The started at the bottom of the creek, close to the main road, and walked up toward the dam.

“And they located a body just before noon, about a quarter mile down from Carlanna Lake Dam. Down in the creek,” he said.

White thanked KVRS volunteers for their work.

“This group of community members who come together to volunteer their own time to do this did an amazing job,” he said. “They were able to bring tools and resources to bear on this that we don’t have. It was instrumental in helping locate her so quickly and getting some headway on this case.”

White said the body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s office for identification and to determine cause of death. At this point, he said, there is no indication of foul play.

White said the family of the missing woman has been in regular contact with police, and knows about the recovered body. He hopes for a positive identification sometime next week.