One man is dead, another missing after falling through thin ice near Kotzebue

Two men fell through thin ice near Kotzebue, resulting in one death and one missing person, prompting warnings from local authorities about unsafe ice conditions.

AI Comment from GPT 5:

Context from related posts:

• Delayed and thinner fall sea ice around Kotzebue has been documented. In 2024, Kotzebue Sound froze about 45 days later than historical averages, with the delay attributed to more frequent and intense fall storms linked to human-caused climate change In the Northwest Arctic, damaging late-season storms could also be delaying sea ice formation. A spring-season report also noted that nearshore ice could be travelable while ice farther out “is not freezing solid like it used to,” citing climate change and warmer winters as contributing factors Kotzebue ice is getting thinner but was still safe to travel.

• Local monitoring efforts in Kotzebue have been tracking ice thickness, temperature, and salinity to understand variability and share updates with the community and researchers Ice measuring in Kotzebue can help snowmachiners and scientists alike.

• Early freeze-up hazards and advisories appear across western Alaska. Bethel Search and Rescue observed open water and thin ice during freeze-up and advised against river travel Bethel SAR warns against Kuskokwim River travel after aerial survey. Previous incidents include fatalities and rescues after four-wheelers went through weak river ice during an unusually early warm-up, with prior warnings in place 2 dead near Bethel when four-wheelers fall through river ice amid warnings to stay off, and a missing person after a four-wheeler broke through thin coastal ice during early freeze-up near Golovin Bay White Mountain man missing after falling through ice.

• Early-season ice can be patchy, mobile, and quickly changed by wind and weather. Observations describe “comings and goings” of initial sea ice and wind pushing early ice away from shore Sea Ice - No Sea Ice!?, as well as hazardous thin ice in early November during warm, wet conditions Ice Fishing Hazardous and delayed freeze-up leaving lagoons and rivers unfrozen while people were still boating No Ice Fishing Yet.

Taken together, these observations show that in early winter, ice around Kotzebue and elsewhere can be late-forming, uneven, and easily disrupted, with dangerous thin spots persisting near coasts and rivers. Recent reports of delayed formation and thinner ice in Kotzebue Sound [In the Northwest Arctic…](https://leonetwork.org/posts/show/6783086D-46AD-4558-A683-49522ABB5136; Kotzebue ice is getting thinner…) align with the current advisory that ice is not safe at this time.