Man dies in canoe accident on Finger Lake, troopers say

A young man drowned after a canoe overturned on Finger Lake in the early hours of Thursday...
A young man drowned after a canoe overturned on Finger Lake in the early hours of Thursday morning. (KTUU) (KTUU)
Published: May. 25, 2018 at 7:53 AM AKDT
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

A young man is dead Friday after a canoeing accident on a popular Wasilla-area lake.

Two men went out on the canoe when it capsized. Only one of the two made it to shore, troopers said.

Bryce Adams, 19, of Wasilla and another unnamed man were canoeing early Friday morning. Troopers were notified just before 2 a.m. of "a male screaming for help" on one of the islands in Finger Lake.

According to the trooper report, the canoe the men were traveling in turned over, and one of them swam to shore. The other, Adams, disappeared, troopers wrote.

At that time, a "hasty search" and "water rescue" were conducted by Mat-Su Borough emergency teams. Hours later, at 6:18 a.m., the body of Adams was recovered from water less than 5 feet deep.

His family was reportedly at the scene by that time.

Channel 2 spoke with family members Friday morning, who were surrounded by friends and family at their home grieving and didn't want to comment about their son.

Trooper spokesperson Tim Despain says the canoe was launched from a private home.

Troopers noted that neither of the two were wearing life jackets, and said alcohol appears to be a factor. The investigation will continue, troopers said.

Incidents like these are a driving factor behind officials' encouragement to all boaters to wear life jackets. Cold temperatures in Alaska bodies of water, prevailing even during summer months, can impede even strong swimmers.

Channel 2's Jack Carney also contributed to this story.