Troopers find snowmachiner with helicopter

March 8, 2005

KATE GOLDEN/Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - An Alaska State Trooper helicopter on Sunday morning picked up a lost snowmachiner near Mile 119, south of the Glenn Highway.

Craig Hassinger, 31, of Anchorage, who had been reported lost several hours earlier. He said he'd been snowmachining with David E. Marsh, 35, of Wasilla since 11 a.m.

Trooper spokesman Greg Wilkinson said Hassinger reported they got separated around 6 p.m. when they attempted to go through a large alder patch. Marsh said he would catch up and that Hassinger should keep going.

Hassinger continued on, riding out to the highway after noting the coordinates on his GPS.

Marsh failed to return. Hassinger contacted troopers at around 9:45 p.m. to begin the search.

Trooper Helo 1 responded by 1:30 a.m. Two and a half hours later, pilot Mel Nading - with the help of Hassinger's GPS coordinates - found Marsh unharmed, about 10 miles from the roadway where his snowmachine had become disabled, Wilkinson said.

Marsh left his snowmachine at the site and returned to civilization in Helo 1.