Boating Accident On The Yukon River

A visitor from Eagle River was seriously injured in a boating accident on the Yukon River on September 9th. At approximately 8 p.m., the boat, carrying three hunters, hit a gravel bar near Slaven’s Roadhouse, approximately 100 miles downriver from Eagle.

One of the men was thrown from his seat into the boat’s interior framing and sustained head and neck trauma and a dislocated shoulder. He lost mobility in his arms and legs, briefly lost consciousness, and experienced difficulty breathing. His two companions used an air horn on board to alert a party of hunters at Slaven’s. They boated to the accident scene, then traveled overland to report the accident to NPS staff on patrol in the area. NPS dispatch notified Alaska State Troopers and a MAST helicopter was dispatched to the scene.

A park ranger/medic and a second ranger responded overland, then by boat, and provided emergency medical care to the injured man. He was immobilized, extricated from the boat, transported by NPS vessel to a landing zone near Slaven’s Roadhouse, and flown by helicopter to a hospital.

At last report, his condition was improving and he was recovering some mobility in his extremities.