Boaters Rescued Following Accident On Birch Creek

Denali National Park & Preserve (AK)
Boaters Rescued Following Accident On Birch Creek

On Tuesday, June 15th, three boaters were rescued from Birch Creek in the far western region of the park by the park’s A-Star B3 helicopter. Pam Rothwell, 50, David Watts, 62, and Marv Page, 63, were dumped in the water when their boat collided with a snag in the stream on Monday afternoon. They were able to reach the east shore, but most of their belongings and all of their food floated away. They used a satellite phone to contact a relative, who then called the Alaska State Troopers. The park was notified of the accident shortly after 7 a.m. on the 15th. The boaters were able to provide their GPS coordinates, and the helicopter flew to the site and extricated them. The three friends left Manley Hot Springs on Monday, June 7th, in a 24-foot river skiff for a trip to Lake Minchumina, which is just outside the western boundary of Denali National Preserve. They planned to travel from the Tanana River to the Kantishna River, enter the preserve, and travel the Muddy River to Lake Minchumina. The boat was equipped with an Evinrude 75 hp motor with an engine lift. None of the three had ever been on the route before. The group traveled up the Kantishna River and then turned into Birch Creek, mistaking it for the Muddy River. Birch Creek is considered to be very difficult to navigate as it is relatively shallow much of the year. The boaters managed to travel approximately 40 miles south into the park before the engine failed. At that point. they realized their mistake and began to float downstream, but had difficulty maneuvering due to the swift current and tight turns. The boat remains completely submerged in moving water at the accident scene pending a possible recovery later in the summer when water levels drop.