Kenneth Harvey, 02/23/02, Vault Creek/Alyeska Pipeline, Snowmachine
Gabe Olympic, 02/23/02, Iliamna, Snowmachine, Hypothermia

ADN, 2/26/02

Two snowmachiners die in separate incidents

Two snowmachiners died Saturday, state troopers reported.

The first incident occurred near Fairbanks. Troopers received a call that Kenneth Harvey, 33, of Fairbanks had driven his snowmachine off an Alyeska pipeline access road near Vault Creek. Steese Volunteer Fire Department responded and found Harvey dead.

Troopers spokesman Greg Wilkinson said Monday he wasn't aware of the details surrounding Harvey's death because the investigating trooper couldn't be reached.

A separate incident began Saturday morning when troopers in Dillingham initiated a search-and-rescue operation for two missing snowmachiners. Gabe and Katie Olympic of Iliamna had left the village Thursday to attend a carnival in New Stuyahok but never arrived.

Ground search teams left from Iliamna and New Stuyahok, and a Fish and Wildlife Protection plane took off from King Salmon. The couple were found about noon by ground searchers 22 miles southeast of New Stuyahok.

Katie Olympic, 62, was flown to Dillingham for treatment of hypothermia. Her 61-year-old husband was taken to the New Stuyahok clinic, where he was pronounced dead.

-- Anchorage Daily News