Successful search and rescue brings three people out of the Alaska Range

Three people on a bear-hunting trip were rescued from the Alaska Range on Tuesday.

According to the Alaska State Troopers, 60-year-old Roxanne Cadotte-Speckman and 71-year-old Calvin Speckman of Pleasant Hill as well as their guide, 45-year-old Jason Vogel of Talkeetna, were stranded by weather southeast of Nikolai.

Troopers say the initial distress call came in Tuesday morning. Winds in excess of seventy-miles-per-hour destroyed the group’s camp and survival supplies. Throughout the day, the weather worsened, and the Alaska State Troopers describe the situation at the time as “desparate.”

One rescue attempt was turned back by weather conditions. Around 11:00 pm on Tuesday night, troopers received word that another guide in a Piper Super Cub had rescued Roxanne Cadotte-Speckman. Shortly after that, a Blackhawk helicopter was able to make it to the two remaining stranded hunters. They were flown to Fairbanks, where everyone was reported as being in good condition and without significant injuries.