David Yanoshek, 06-28-08

Missing man presumed dead after boat flips on the Kenai

By WESLEY LOY, June 29th, 2008

Searchers were looking for a missing man Saturday night after a boat carrying five people flipped on the Kenai River, an Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman said.

The watercraft tipped two miles upriver from Skilak Lake, and the search was concentrated in the area of Jim's Landing, said troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.

A state Division of Forestry helicopter was helping in the search, along with two boats from Soldotna-based Central Emergency Services, she said.

The missing man was identified as David Yanoshek, 56, of Anchorage. He was wearing hip waders but no life jacket, Peters said.

Yanoshek was with a party of 30 to 35 people, she said.

Troopers didn't get a call about the trouble until 5:20 p.m., about an hour after the boat flipped, Peters said. Four others on the boat made it ashore, but Yanoshek didn't and was presumed drowned late Saturday, she said.

She couldn't say what type of boat was involved in the mishap, but the stretch of river below Jim's Landing is popular with rafters and kayakers. It's known as the Kenai Canyon and features some rapids.

Searchers worked from the accident location downstream to Skilak Lake, Peters said.

Find Wesley Loy online at adn.com/contact/wloy or call 257-4590.

Body of drowned man recovered from river

Anchorage Daily News, July 26th, 2008

COOPER LANDING -- Alaska State Troopers say a body they recovered from the Kenai River on Thursday evening belongs to a man who fell out of a boat and drowned late last month.

Anchorage resident David Yanoshek, 56, disappeared into the river near Jim's Landing the afternoon of June 28 after his boat hit a rock and tossed him into the water, troopers said.

His body was found Thursday evening in the river near where it enters Skilak Lake, troopers said. The state medical examiner today confirmed Yanoshek drowned.

Yanoshek was not wearing a life jacket when he fell into the river, troopers said. Another passenger in the boat was and made it safely ashore, they said.