ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Three residents of an Alaska village died in a riverboat accident.
Alaska State Troopers say the bodies of three residents of Tuntutuliak (toon-too-TOO-lee-ak) were pulled Sunday pulled from the Kuskokwim (KUS-koh-kwim) River.
Tuntutuliak is 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the Bering Sea coast and 440 miles (708 kilometers) west of Anchorage.
Troopers identified the dead as 50-year-old Peter Joseph Jr., 43-year-old Jennifer Joseph and 44-year-old Nettie Evan.
A family member on Saturday afternoon spoke by phone to Jennifer Joseph, who reported that the Josephs and Evan were on the Kuskokwim River between Napaskiak (nah-PAS-kee-ak) and Napakiak (nah-PAK-ee-ak) and heading home.
The Josephs’ unoccupied boat at about 6 p.m. Saturday was spotted on a sandbar.
Tides lifted the boat from the sandbar and it was found Monday at Eek Island.