Turnagain Arm mud flats.Photo:Planet One Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Planet One Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
A young man from Illinois is being remembered for his passion for travel after he died during a trip to Alaska.
Zachary Porter, 20, died Sunday after getting stuck in the tidal mud flats near Hope on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska State Troopers said in apress release.
Alaska State Troopers spokesman Austin McDaniel said Zachary was walking on the flat with three friends when he got stuck just before 6 p.m. local time, according toNBC News.
Crews from both Hope Sunrise Fire Department and Girdwood Fire Department responded to the scene near Turnagain Arm, but their efforts to rescue Zachary “were unsuccessful,” state troopers said.
A second individual, who did not get stuck, was transported via LifeMed air ambulance to the hospital on Sunday, Girdwood Fire and Rescue said in astatement.
Zachary Porter.Facebook
“He wanted to experience and enjoy the outdoor world,” his father told the outlet. “That was a part of his passion.”
“He was the most kind, compassionate, hard-working, smart, driven, well-rounded person I know,” told the outlet.
Troopers believe this is the first death on the Turnagain Arm mud flat in decades, McDainel said, according to NBC News.
Girdwood Fire and Rescue said both mud flats and Turnagain Arm tides “are unforgiving.” Those who get stuck are encouraged to “call 911 early,” and should not wait once they are stuck below the knee.
“Tides move very quickly,” Girdwood Fire and Rescue said in Monday’s statement, noting that “mud stability can change” on the flats depending on the day.
source: people.com
