Growing search underway for 2 young Northwest Alaska men missing for days

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A big air and floor search was underway Friday for 2 18-year-olds lacking for 4 days in Northwest Alaska.

Alaska State Troopers say they acquired a report round 12:30 p.m. Monday from the Northwest Arctic Borough Search and Rescue coordinator that Josiah Poll of Selawik and Thomas Aki Pungalik Brown had been overdue arriving in Noorvik on a snowmachine journey from Kotzebue, in accordance with the troopers’ report. A member of the family stated Brown lives in Noorvik.

Josiah Poll was touring on a purple and black Yamaha snowmachine, his mom Tanya Poll stated. She stated it wasn’t recognized whether or not the 2 teenagers rode on one snowmachine or whether or not Brown had his personal automobile. The 2 are cousins, Tanya Poll stated.

Josiah Poll arrived in Kotzebue the evening of Jan. 14 after leaving Selawik the day earlier than and touring by means of Kiana and Noorvik, his mom stated. Individuals reported seeing him driving round city and on the ocean ice in entrance of Kotzebue.

Brown instructed his household that he “was going to go assist his cousin, and he took off” from Noorvik to Kotzebue, in accordance with his mom Melinda Cleveland, who lives in Ambler.

Poll and Brown instructed pals by way of social media they had been leaving Kotzebue at midnight the day they went lacking, troopers stated, however had been nonetheless in Kotzebue at round 3 a.m. in accordance with their messages.

The 2 teenagers had been seen within the Uutuku Retailer and Restaurant in Kotzebue “dressed up and able to go,” stated Tanya Poll, who can also be the Native Village of Selawik administrator. Josiah Poll’s final location pin was behind Cemetery Hill, near the path in direction of the Satan’s Lake that leads out of city, his mom stated.

The search started Monday afternoon, when Josiah Poll’s good friend instructed Tanya Poll her son had not arrived in Noorvik, she stated.

Floor searchers from a number of communities appeared for the cousins on the paths and shoreline, whereas troopers flew above the Selawik to Noorvik path and the Noorvik to Kotzebue path, troopers stated. The bottom and air search continued Wednesday and Thursday, they stated.

Josiah Poll’s father, Daniel Poll, went to Kotzebue and looked for the 2 younger males from home to accommodate.

By Friday, about 100 individuals had been concerned within the search, together with volunteers from Selawik, Kiana, Noorvik, Kotzebue and Buckland, and extra villages tried to ship assist as properly, Tanya Poll stated. Individuals from across the nation had been offering monetary assist for the efforts, she stated.

“They’re doing it from the kindness of their coronary heart, and we don’t know different methods to only help and preserve our individuals protected from hurt,” she stated. “When persons are misplaced — anyone, it doesn’t matter who … all of us come collectively.”

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