Two weeks in the past, a canoe of an Haines company that guides took to the waters at Chilkoot lake. The seven passengers and two guides spent an extensive period of time floating in the frigid water, swimming to shore before being saved. We spoke to Haines the Fire Chief Brian Clay about the incident and the department’s response.
The accident occurred on a Sunday afternoon that was windy near the northern edge of Chilkoot lake. The group was taking a trip on a canoe with Haines the company that guides them Alaska Mountain Guides.
It was blowing around 15 to 25 mph. high,” said Haines Fire Chief Brian Clay, who was fishing on the lake with his daughter. “My belief is that they began drinking water, and then when it became swamped the lake, they were unable to bail fast enough, and it got swamped.”
When the canoe entered the water, seven elderly people and two guides were trying to swim towards shore. The majority of them were wearing flotation devices, but they spent roughly half an hour in the lake fed by glaciers before they reached the shore.
Another boat in front of the guiding business reported that they took them to the beach and ferried they to the park area at which Chief Clay was able to meet them.
“They all had hypothermia and three of them were critically ill,” he said. “Three were walking or in green, which is what we call it in our industry.”
The three patients in critical condition were taken by private cars to meet ambulances while driving out of town. The remaining four patients were taken to the clinic by police and fire department vehicles.
Five of the patients were later treated according to Clay and the ambulance crew were working late into the evening, transferring patients between the hospital to the hospital and airport.
Clay claims that after activation the emergency response worked smoothly. However, the first phone call made to 911 routed to the incorrect dispatcher.
“I believe the 911 call was made through the Fairbanks regional office for satellite phones and they weren’t aware the location of Chilkoot Lake was,” Clay explained.
KHNS did not conduct a direct check on the health of patients. Alaska Mountain Guide owner Sean Gaffney has not responded to numerous requests for comment.
