A tragic incident occurred in the Turnagain Arm estuary of Alaska, where a man walking with friends on the famed tidal mud flats became trapped and drowned as the rising tide prevented rescue attempts.
The victim, identified as Zachary Porter, a 20-year-old from Lake Bluff, Illinois, found himself stuck waist-deep on Sunday evening as the tide steadily advanced. His body was later recovered on Monday morning, Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel told the Associated Press.
Porter’s friends immediately contacted emergency services through a 911 call, but unfortunately, their efforts proved futile as the situation deteriorated rapidly.
In response to the distress call, emergency medical services, including two air ambulances, rushed to the scene. Michelle Weston, the fire chief of the Alaskan town of Girdwood, confirmed their involvement in the incident and stated that despite their arrival, the individual had already become submerged. Weston expressed their involvement in recovery operations.
This unfortunate incident adds to a series of tragedies that have occurred in Turnagain Arm.
The estuary, spanning 48 miles and shaped by ancient glaciers, runs southeast from the Anchorage area, paralleling a major highway. During low tide, the estuary’s perilous mud flats, composed of silt resulting from glacier-crushed rocks, pose significant risks.
This incident marks at least the fourth recorded drowning in the area over the years, while numerous others have been successfully rescued, including a recent fishing-related incident last month.
