A Kake man reported missing Saturday was found dead Monday near the small Southeast community.
Alaska State Troopers say 55-year-old David Dalton was last seen just after noon on Friday, October 15th. He was reported missing to troopers on October 16th and his pickup truck was discovered near Sitkum Creek that day. Local search teams found some items belonging to Dalton about 50 yards from his truck.
Searchers also learned about a possible sighting of an emergency flare in the area of the community’s landfill. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was not able to locate any signs of people there. In addition to the Coast Guard, Sitka Mountain Rescue and two K-9 teams with the Juneau-based Southeast Alaska Dogs Organized for Ground Search, or SEADOGS helped with the search. One of those K-9 teams found Dalton’s body just before noon on Monday, October 18 about two and a half miles from his truck. Troopers say it appears that Dalton succumbed to the elements. His body was sent to state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Temperatures in the region dropped into the 20s and 30s over the weekend.
