(Editor's Note: The boys involved in this tragedy were members of one of our broadcasters, Scammon Bay Covenant Church in Scammon Bay, Alaska. This report was posted on the church's blog. Their funeral was officiated by the pastor of that church, Jon Cardwell. Click here to read the entire article. Please pray for the families affected and pray for that church.)Reaman Joe Uttereyuk (born Dec. 8, 1998) was found lying on the nets right on the shore of the Kun River Friday afternoon, 6 July 2007. Taken to the village clinic, CPR was performed for 45 minutes before a doctor in Bethel, on the phone with EMT's in Scammon Bay, told them to discontinue CPR.
Reichel John Uttereyuk (born March 2, 1997), Reaman's older brother, could not be found. Search and rescue operations commenced immediately and Reichel's body was finally found on Saturday morning, July 7, at approximately 9:30 a.m. Reichel's body was pulled up from the bottom of the Kun River, about 150 feet away from the place where Reaman's body was found on shore.
Their parents, John and Carolyn Uttereyuk, were subsistence fishing at their fish camp on Black River, 40 miles north of Scammon Bay.
According to State Troopers, they verified what we had all believed-- the boys were playing and Reaman slipped on some rocks by the shoreline. Reichel jumped in to save his brother. He was able to get Reaman's unconscious body up to shore while two other young cousins helped pull him up from the shore. Reichel had no more strength and went under.
Bill Noonkesser | 8/1/2014
