On October 8, 2023, at 2:00PM, Alaska State Troopers received a report of an overdue boat with two occupants traveling from Napakiak to Tuntutuliak. A search was launched and a Village Public Safety Officer located the boat submerged down river. 

One of the occupants was located deceased near the shore and the other occupant was located wet and hypothermic on the riverbank. The surviving occupant stated that a large wave swamped the boat. Investigation revealed that the occupants had been transporting alcohol. 

The surviving occupant admitted to consuming alcohol prior to operating the vessel, as well as consuming a large amount of alcohol after the swamping incident in an attempt to stay warm. According to the report submitted by an Alaska State Trooper, "due to the time lapse from when the boat overturned to when [the victim] died, and the fact [the surviving occupant] consumed a large quantity of alcohol after they swam to shore, with an unknown amount of time before Search and Rescue volunteers found them (possibly up to 12 hours), it cannot be positively determined that [the surviving occupant] was intoxicated at the time of driving the boat, nor that [their] actions resulted in [the victim's] death."
Kuskokwim River
Tuntutuliak                   