Search continues for Tuluksak man missing for more than 2 weeks

The search continues for a man who walked away from the village of Tuluksak 15 days ago.

On Monday, Tuluksak Search and Rescue spotted Walter Hawk, 43, who troopers describe as a “vulnerable adult.” A group had boated 9 miles up the Tuluksak River when they spied Hawk a couple miles offshore through binoculars. Night was approaching, and the missing man was too far away for the group to reach before dark.

Search and Rescue Member Jacob Napoka says the group decided to camp out for the night rather than shout at Hawk and potentially scare him away.

“These old people told us not to holler at him or he might run away, but quietly walk to him,” Napoka said.

But when morning came, Hawk had disappeared.

Before Hawk went missing he’d told a friend he was leaving to pick berries but didn’t say where he was going. Napoka says the berries are what’s keeping Hawk alive.

“Yeah, he’s okay, because there’s lots of berries up there—lots of blueberries, blackberries,” Napoka said.

KYUK - Bethel

KYUK is our partner station in Bethel. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.

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