A Kotzebue man found in a remote cabin on Jan. 27 suffering from extreme hypothermia later died from his injuries.
According to Alaska State Troopers, 61-year-old Clifford Melton left Kotzebue on Monday headed for the Northwest Arctic community of Buckland, about 70 miles away. Search and Rescue teams from Buckland and Kotzebue responded after reports that Melton was overdue.
Troopers located Melton about 35 miles from Kotzebue in an abandoned cabin, which troopers on scene described as "a falling down shack". The troopers used a Alaska Wildlife Trooper plane with skis to transport Melton to Kotzebue and then Anchorage, where he died from his injuries.
A trooper spokesperson said in an email that Melton routinely traveled from Kotzebue to Buckland and that his snowmachine likely ran out of gas.
