Men escape death on Talkeetna River

TALKEETNA -- Two Big Lake residents are thankful to be alive after their boat was swept under a log in the Talkeetna River, tossing them into the cold glacial stream.

Steven Reeves, 51, and Allen Ashlock, 38, were two miles north of Mahays Riverboat Service just before darkness fell on Sept. 7 when the incident occurred. Their rigid-hulled Zodiak boat dumped the men near an eddy after being sucked under a cottonwood log in the river.

They grabbed onto the log and managed to pluck their backpacks from the swirling eddy. Each had a cell phone inside, but Reeves' was wet and wouldn't work. Ashlock had put his inside a plastic bag and the phone was in working condition, although it took 90 minutes to get a signal.

After 911 learned of their plight, dispatchers called the riverboat company. Steve Mahay and an employee took a boat to rescue the cold, wet men at 2:30 a.m.

Reeves and Ashlock had been returning from a trip upstream to visit property owned by Reeves. Ashlock admits they got a late start back to Talkeetna, made worse when they beached their boat on a gravel bar for about 45 minutes.

An experienced boater, Ashlock said there was still enough light to navigate under the full moon. However, they took the wrong channel two miles from town and soon afterward hit the log.

"We weren't in the water that long, but I know about hypothermia," said Ashlock, who estimated the water temperature at 35 degrees.

They grabbed tree roots and pulled themselves up onto the log. They had fire sticks and used them to make a warming fire. Soon the sticks were gone, so Ashlock took out his camp stove. However, he fumbled with the stove due to cold fingers, poured some gasoline on his pants and it ignited.

"I had a 2-foot flame coming out of my lap," he said.

Reeves smothered the fire before his buddy was burned. Then it was time to wait.

"Mahays is our lifesaver," Ashlock said. "And the cell phone. I always carry my cell phone."

He wants to warn people of the confusing braids in the river where he and Reeves took a wrong turn. Ashlock also believes the cottonwood log should be cut away, or warning signs put up.

"Five or six people almost lost their lives there before us," he said, referring to two other boat accidents at the site this summer. "I just want to tell people, 'Be careful.'"

Ashlock chuckled at the Alaska State Trooper report describing the accident. It said the boat "started to submerge" after hitting the log.

In fact, Ashlock said, it was under water in a split second. He and Reeves know how lucky they were to survive.

"Every morning's a good morning for me from now on," Ashlock said.