Troopers: No sign of missing Palmer hunter

UPDATE: Charlie Hull was found alive on Wednesday, Sept. 16 by Alaska State Troopers.

Original story:

WASILLA – The search for a hunter from Palmer missing since Saturday is still ongoing with no signs of the man in what authorities said is extremely difficult terrain.

“Weather conditions are not good,” said Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters in an email Tuesday morning. “The trails are very muddy.”

Charles Hull, 49, was reported missing Saturday night (Sept. 12) after he did not return to hunting camp near Little Peters Mountain. A search on Sunday and Monday turned up nothing.

Peters said members of the public are not needed and that troopers are asking people not to search on their own.

“It would do more harm than good at this point because additional people and ATVs will only make trail conditions worse,” Peters wrote.

She said searchers are working in shifts to try and locate Hull, and that four National Guard soldiers would also be joining the search effort. Searching from the air has been hampered by the rainy weather, but Peters said troopers would try to launch a helicopter on Tuesday if they got a break in the weather. If Hull isn’t located on Tuesday Peters said the search will continue first thing Wednesday morning.

“The plan is to have them out all day today,” she wrote. “If they don’t find (Hull) then some searchers will stay the night and go at it again in the morning.”