Modern Mysteries

'Alaska Triangle' claims 10 more victims after missing plane found

By T.K. Randall
February 8, 2025 ·  7 comments

The Alaskan wilderness. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 Steve Lyon The alarm was raised when the small commuter plane - which had departed from Unalakleet to Nome at 2:38pm on Thursday - failed to make it to its destination, sparking an extensive search and rescue operation lasting several days.

Sadly, though, the search ended in tragedy when the wreckage of the plane was discovered earlier today approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome.

It is believed that all nine passengers and the pilot were killed in the crash.

This, however, is by no means the first such disaster to strike the region.

Since 1972, the area between Anchorage, Juneau and Utqiagvik - often referred to as the Alaska Triangle - has allegedly seen the disappearances of over 20,000 people.In many ways this echoes the more famous Bermuda Triangle - a region in which planes are said to disappear without a trace and where crashes and disasters are disproportionately commonplace.

One of the most notable disappearances to occur within the Alaskan Triangle was that of House Majority Leader Hale Boggs and Congressman Nick Begich who had been flying from Anchorage to Juneau in 1972 when their plane vanished and was never seen or heard from again.

Other disappearances include that of 25-year-old Gary Frank Sotherden who went missing during a hunting trip, Joseph Balderas who vanished in 2016 and Florence Okpealuk who disappeared in 2020.

According to reports, over 2,000 people go missing in the region every year.

In all likelihood, the remote nature of the area coupled with the challenging weather and terrain are likely to be the primary suspects in this ongoing phenomenon.

Source: Economic Times | Comments (7)

Tags: Alaska