Body in river is missing Houston man

WILLOW — Alaska State Troopers have released the name of the man found in the waters of the Susitna River over the weekend.

Troopers say the body is that of Scott Douglas Aslakson, 51, of Houston.

Aslakson was the subject of an extensive search of the river after he was seen driving over an embankment and crashing through the ice on March 13. Troopers called out the Mat-Su Borough’s Dive Rescue Team and brought out planes, boats, snowmachines and a helicopter.

Although they managed to find Aslakson’s snowmachine, they didn’t find Aslakson and the search was eventually called off.

On Sunday, a little over two months after Aslakson went missing, troopers say a boater called to report finding a body in the water near the mouth of the Deshka River where it meets the Susitna River. Troopers say they sent a jet boat to the area with an employee of the State Medical Examiner’s Office on board.

The medical examiners used Aslakson’s dental records to identify the body and announced their findings Thursday.