Man falls through ice, survives two nights

GLENNALLEN -- A hunter who fell through the ice on the Little Nelchina River last weekend wrapped himself in the skin of a freshly killed caribou to survive temperatures that dropped below 10 degrees Saturday and Sunday nights, Alaska State Troopers reported Monday.

Dewey Staloch, 58, was hunting with a friend, Linda Kakaruk, 44, near Mile 144 Glenn Hwy. when Kakaruk shot and wounded a caribou.

The pair followed the animal south until they found it on the ice of the Little Nelchina River. Kakaruk returned to her vehicle while Staloch stayed to dress the animal and prepare for the pack out.

But when Kakaruk tried to return to the kill site, she was unable to find Staloch or the caribou. She searched the area for the rest of the day with her son, Paul Japp, but could not find Staloch. That night they drove the road, firing their guns and honking the horn.

Kakaruk called the troopers and reported her friend missing on Sunday at around 4:30 p.m. By then it was too late to begin a search because it was getting dark and the terrain was too rough for a night search, troopers said.

On Monday morning, Trooper Dan Sadloske readied local residents for a ground search and called in trooper helicopter pilot Melvin Nading, who pilots Helo 1, to assist in the search.

Sgt. Duane Stone, who spotted Staloch, said the helicopter almost didn't make it out from Anchorage because of weather conditions.

"I don't think we could've found him if the helo didn't make it out here," Stone said. "The search only took 20 minutes. That helo is a lifesaver, I can't emphasize that enough. If we hadn't found him that night, he wouldn't have made it."

During the time Staloch was missing, the area received an inch of fresh snow and temperatures dropped below 10 degrees. Staloch did not have a warm jacket or any other gear for spending the night outdoors, troopers said.

An air search began around 10:30 a.m. and Stone spotted Staloch about 15 minutes later on the Little Nelchina River, waving his arms.

Staloch told troopers he fell through the ice Saturday and became so cold he couldn't use his legs. Troopers said Staloch's body temperature had dropped to 96 degrees when they found him Monday.

With his boots full of ice-cold water, Staloch was unable to climb the bluffs out of the river drainage or start a fire. In a desperate effort to stay warm, Staloch skinned the caribou and wrapped himself in the hide. The next day, he had to eat raw meat off the caribou carcass to maintain energy and warmth, troopers said.

When troopers picked up Staloch, the caribou hide he had used as a blanket was frozen in a cone shape under nearby trees.

Rescuers loaded Staloch into Helo 1 and transported him to Cross Roads Medical Center in Glennallen, where he was treated for frostbite and hypothermia and released Monday.

Contact John Davidson at john.davidson@frontiersman.com.