Unknown, 06-30-08

Canoeists discover body along the Yukon River

By JAMES HALPIN, jhalpin@adn.com, Published: July 2nd, 2008

The state medical examiner is working to identify the body of a man that washed ashore in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve on Monday evening, according to park officials and Alaska State Troopers.

The body appeared along the Yukon River just below its confluence with the Nation River, said Pat Sanders, a lead ranger at the park.

"The body had been in the water for some time based on the level of decomposition," she said.

Two canoeists found the remains and contacted park volunteers. Rangers took the body to Eagle, about 12 miles from the Canadian border, and it was to be sent to Anchorage for autopsy and identification, Sanders said.

There are no reports of anyone missing in the area.

It's possible that the body drifted down the Yukon from Canada, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said, and troopers had been in contact with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Tuesday was Canada Day, and no one was available to discuss the matter at the mounted police detachment in Dawson, Yukon.