Both bodies found in area where missing snowmachiners fell through ‘slushy’ ice

BIG LAKE — The bodies of a pair of snowmachiners who went missing in Big Lake at 3 p.m. on Friday have been discovered. AST, along with Mat-Su Search and Rescue and volunteer snowmachiners believe they have found an area of high probability where they think the snowmachiners might have gone through the ice.

Lavern and Vanton Pettigen, 64 and 66 years old out of Anchorage, have not been seen for over a week. On Friday, at around 11:00 a.m., AST was able to retrieve Lavern’s body from the lake. As of Saturday morning, rescue crews had retrieved two snowmachines and were deploying sonar equipment in an attempt to retrieve Vanton.

Later on Saturday, AST reported they recovered the body of Vanton. Troopers report the body has been sent to the state medical examiner's office in Anchorage and next of kin has been identified.

AST is still asking people to stay clear of the area of Burston Island on Big Lake due to unsafe ice conditions.

A friend of the couple said they may have seen the missing snowmachiners at noon on Sunday, but AST received a request for a welfare check on Tuesday, December 18. The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center was activated and searched until the end of their fuel and daylight limitations.

On Wednesday, volunteers and helicopters began coordinated rescue efforts while the Alaska Wildlife Troopers are assisting the search with aircraft and snowmachines. AST got a tip from a resident of Big Lake that they had seen an area of open water near Burston Island on Big Lake. As a helicopter flew over the area and the rotor wash from the blades revealed that the ice had holes and was slushy, not thick. AST Spokesperson Megan Peters said that the ice was nine inches thick and rotten, and that AST has recovered one body from the scene. They will continue their search efforts, and sonar equipment will be deployed in the lake to try and determine if they can find another body and two snowmachines. Peters said that she had been told that nearly 100 snowmachiners are out looking for the pair.

“In situations like this they can be helpful people out there. They really do step to the plate and come and help us cover areas and report back to us,” Peters said.

MAT SAR has set up a base for the search operations on shore, and rescuers in the area of the failing ice are wearing life jackets. Searchers from shore are watching the area to ensure that no one who might fall through the ice goes unaccounted for.

Peters said that anyone snowmachining in the area of assisting in the search is required to keep a perimeter of a half mile from the dangerous ice. Peters said that rescuers have coordinated the volunteer searchers, and that identification on the body retrieved from the lake has not yet been identified.