Missing Kake man found dead on Monday

Kake’s waterfront in May 2021 (Joe Viechnicki/KFSK)

A Kake man who was reported missing on Saturday was found dead near the small Southeast community on Monday.

Alaska State Troopers say 55-year-old David Dalton was last seen just after noon on Friday, Oct. 15. He was reported missing to troopers on Oct. 16, and his pickup truck was discovered near Sitkum Creek that day. Local search teams found some items belonging to Dalton about 50 yards from his truck.

Searchers also learned about a possible sighting of an emergency flare in the area of the community’s landfill, but a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was not able to locate any signs of people there.

Sitka Mountain Rescue and two K-9 teams with the Juneau-based SEADOGS helped the Coast Guard with the search. One of those K-9 teams found Dalton’s body just before noon on Monday, Oct. 18 about two and a half miles from his truck.

Troopers say it appears that Dalton succumbed to the elements. His body has been sent to state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.

Local temperatures dropped into the 20s and 30s over the weekend.

KFSK - Petersburg

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

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