Two deer hunters were rescued Saturday on Prince of Wales Island after family members reported them overdue from a hunting trip.
According to Alaska State Troopers, it was reported Saturday evening that brothers David Duncan, 38, and Berton Duncan, 24, both of Craig, had told family they would return from their hunt by Friday evening.
Family members already had looked for the pair, and told troopers that their vehicle had been found undisturbed on a logging road in the Upper Steelhead area. Both brothers are experienced hunters and grew up hunting in Southeast Alaska. Neither had any medical conditions and both had basic survival equipment.
Troopers contacted Klawock Search and Rescue, which responded to the scene and deployed a team. The U.S. Coast Guard also helped with an aerial search. At about 1 a.m. Sunday, the Coast Guard helicopter located the brothers with the help of a flare shot by Berton Duncan.
The brothers were picked up with the helicopter’s basket. Neither was injured. They reported that foggy conditions on the mountains caused them to become disoriented while hunting.
One of the brothers had a sleeping bag and a tarp, which kept them dry and warm. The two were dropped off in a clearing near their vehicle and returned home safely.
