One man dies, another missing south of Kodiak

Note: This story has been updated to include the names of the victims.

With one man dead and another man missing, it was a tragic start to the holiday weekend on the south side of Kodiak Island.

The U.S. Coast Guard says it recovered the body of  Cole Rutzer, 22, from Tugidak Island. He and Dylan Furford were crab fishing on the Pacific Dynasty and had left their boat on Thursday to go beach combing.

The Pacific Dynasty was anchored a half mile from Tugidak Island, a remote and unpopulated spot 125 miles south of Kodiak. The two men set out for the island, along with a dog, in a Zodiac skiff. They were supposed to return in time for dinner.

Scott McCann, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, said the men had filed a float plan with the master of the ship.

“When they didn’t come back in time, he gave them a little bit of extra time,” McCann said. “He knew something was wrong.”

The float plan, he said, helped narrow the search, which began at first light the next day at about 5:30 a.m. An hour later, searchers found the Zodiac on the beach and Rutzer’s body nearby. McCann said they also found two survival suits in the boat.

“It’s hard to find survival suits, because we want people to be wearing them,” McCann said. “Your chances of survival are a lot better.”

McCann says the dog was found running on the beach, but there was no sign of the Furford. Both men are from Washington State.

The search continued all day Friday with two C-130 aircraft as well as three helicopter searches.

Kodiak Island Search and Rescue also assisted.

The search ended about 6:00 p.m. and has been suspended for now, pending new information.

 

 

Searchers believe Rutzer and Furford made it to the island safely and may have been caught fighting the surf, as they tried to leave.

Tugidak Island has lonely vistas with vast stretches of grass and sand dunes, known for its seal haul out and productive fishing grounds. It features a large, shallow lagoon on the northeast side of the island.