Wasilla man drowns in early morning boating accident

WASILLA — Alaska State Troopers say a 29-year-old man drowned early Saturday morning on Finger Lake.

Troopers were summoned to the lake at 1:23 a.m. for a report that a boat had overturned. Three people, including a 7-year-old, were on board at the time. Bystanders helped two of them to safety.

The third, Jason C. Covey, 29, of Wasilla, was unaccounted for.

Troopers arrived on scene, bringing a boat along with them. The Mat-Su Borough Dive Rescue Team responded as well. Divers searched the area until 4 a.m. when the search was called off due to poor visibility.

But that hiatus was relatively brief. Divers returned around four hours later and by 11:35 a.m. had found Covey’s body 20 yards from shore.

Troopers report the boat that overturned was 8 feet long with a 3.5-horsepower outboard motor. Covey and his party had loaded it with enough gear for an overnight camping trip. Life vests were not included in that equipment.

—Andrew Wellner