Ronald L. Wilcox 1/26/70 Glennallen Hunter Gunshot

Man, 26, Is Killed In Hunting Mishap
ADN 1/26/70

A weekend caribou hunt near Glennallen ended in tragedy Sunday when a 26-year-old Anchorage man, Ronald L. Wilcox, was accidentally shot in the back and later died while being flown to Anchorage for further hospital treatment.

The victim of the accident lived at 1021 Turpin Road, Apt. 4, with his wife, Nancy.

According to State Troopers, Wilcox was shot about noon Sunday while hunting on a snowmobile for said, and they were pulling a sled along behind.

Wilcox was shot, troopers said, while dismounting the snow machine, just after the pair sighted game.  The companion apparently reached for a .44-magnum rifle stored on the sled and pulled the rifle out by its barrel, troopers said.  It fired, fatally wounding Wilcox.

The men were hunting along the Little Nelchina River some 10 miles west of the Glenn Highway when the accident occurred.  Wilcox was rushed to Faith Hospital in Glennallen in critical condition.

An airplane scheduled to fly from Delta to Anchorage was diverted to Glennallen at about 5:30 p.m. to transport Wilcox here but he apparently died before the plane arrived at Elmendorf Air Force Base.  Wilcox was pronounced dead on arrival at Providence Hospital at 6:30 p.m.