For the Kuskokwim Bay community of Quinhagak, the memory of seven boaters who went missing while on a seal hunt in fall 2020 is still fresh. They were never found. Warren Jones, who heads the local Native corporation and took part in the search effort, said that community members were spurred to take action by the tragedy.
“This was a big push for the search and rescue to get started in Quinhagak,” Jones said.
Today, Quinhagak Search and Rescue is a registered nonprofit that embraces cutting-edge technology both as a means of protecting the safety of residents and preserving traditional subsistence lifestyles.
Soon, a new ocean-based tool that has proven useful in this regard for whaling communities thousands of miles up the coast will also be bobbing in the waters near Quinhagak.
“It’s actually a dream coming true, where we’re having the tools to help us with searching or subsistence traveling,” Jones said.
Known as Backyard Buoys, the bright yellow, basketball-sized devices transmit the real-time data on wave height, temperature, and barometric pressure needed for boaters of all sorts to make the call: head out or stay put.
In mid-May, Jones went on a walrus hunt. He said that his established methods for assessing the weather when planning to travel are somewhat imprecise.
