The drowning was the latest tragedy at Turnagain Arm, a 48-mile-long estuary in Alaska known for its dangerous mud flats made of silt created by glacier-pulverized rocks.
became submerged up to his waist in the quicksand-like silt and drowned as the tide came in before frantic rescuers could extract him, authorities said. Zachary Porter, 20, of Lake Bluff, Illinois, got stuck Sunday evening as the tide came in, and his body was recovered Monday morning, Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel told The Associated Press.
The accident was the latest tragedy at Turnagain Arm, a 48-mile-long estuary carved out long ago by glaciers that travels southeast from the Anchorage area and parallels a major highway. At low tide, the estuary is known for its dangerous mud flats made of silt created by glacier-pulverized rocks. At least three other people have gotten stuck and drowned there over the years. Many more have been rescued, including someone who was fishing there last month.
"When we respond, we respond with the utmost of good intentions and as mothers and fathers and uncles and brothers," she said."We respond with as much passion and vigor as we can.""I have been in contact with all my members, and they're all heartbroken," Peterson said."This is a hard situation." At low tide, Turnagain Arm is known for its mud flats that"can suck you down," Peterson said."It looks like it's solid, but it's not."
There have been other deaths on the mud flats. In 1988, newlyweds Adeana and Jay Dickison were gold dredging on the eastern end of the arm when her ATV got stuck in the mud, the. She then became stuck when trying to push it out and drowned with the incoming tide.
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