AK AK - Steve "Smiley" Keel, 61, TN Resident, Missing From Hunting Trip, North Slope, Sept 2022 #2

[HongKongPhooey]

So was he found? Thread title says found deceased.

It seems far from definite to me at this point.

 

[Rennfam]

IMO we have to go with LE's statement on the official search, since there doesn't seem to have been any LE sanction/certification for the dogs used in the unofficial search. LE's statement is here:

Alaska State Troopers released a statement to WSMV4:

On August 22, 2023, the Alaska State Troopers were notified by a family coordinated search team that they had a cadaver dog indication and sonar scan that they described as a possible deceased person in a shallow tundra lake West of the Dalton Highway. The group requested that the Alaska State Troopers send a dive team to the site. The Alaska State Troopers contacted the North Slope Borough, who remain the coordinating agency for the investigation and search for Steven Keel. In coordination with the North Slope Borough, the Alaska Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery team was deployed to the site by the Troopers. They arrived on September 6th with the assistance of the Alaska National Guard and North Slope Borough aircraft, and searched the lake on both September 6th and 7th. The highly specialized dive team used divers and a cadaver dog to thoroughly search for Keel and were not able to locate any human remains within the lake that the group had identified, or anywhere in the immediate area. The group searched the entire floor of the small lake and examined all vegetation found on the lake floor. Through physical examination of the area by divers, the item that the group believed to be a body from a Sonar image, was determined to not be human remains. The Alaska State Troopers continue to stand ready to assist our partners at the North Slope Borough with this search if they request our assistance.

Remains originally believed to be missing Dover man are not human, Alaska troopers say

“Since then none of the authorities or divers have contacted me or supplied the pictures videos or coordinates of the search but the divers have been busy posting information on Facebook evidently trying to distance themselves from the search since they missed him in the lake,” Keel said.

www.wsmv.com

Here is the certification of the team. The Water Recovery Team

 

[dalsglen]

Well this is ... Unusual.

 

[Black Diamond]

Undoubtedly, there are plenty of animal bones in the lake. It's in a caribou migratory route, and SK and his buddy threw their kill into it, so wild as well as human-introduced.

Do you have a source for your claim that Keel and Collins threw animal parts in a lake? I have not seen that published.

 

[RickshawFan]

The water was Not the water near the campsite. It was highlighted by cadaver dogs. But yes, one would think someone would not take 2 steps in after feeling water with the first. The search team is posting that the dogs distinguish between human and animal remains. It is curious.

Do you have a map so we can see the layout between the camp and the lake where the remains were found? There is a lake near the base camp site, so that seemed to be the most logical lake to investigate. But you're saying it's not that lake?

 

[RickshawFan]

The private search had permits to do the search, so I would not call it unofficial, though, right?

Having a permit would not make a search "official", the same as having a "backcountry permit" doesn't make hikers official or a "driving permit" doesn't make drivers official. It's permission to do something or other, often involving a fee.

A search involving law enforcement or North Slope Borough (i.e. local government) is the official, authorized, search. LE is very clear they are in charge of searching. They haven't sanctioned any other organization (i.e. made them official). They have made this clear from Day 1. This is normal protocol, nationwide: local/state/federal government are the coordinating SAR body. Keel went missing on public land, too, so, yep, under government aegis and dependent on their authority.

 

[RickshawFan]

Do you have a source for your claim that Keel and Collins threw animal parts in a lake? I have not seen that published.

I'd have to go digging in our posts back for a year, and I'm kinda out of touch with this thread. Collins said he threw the kill in the lake. But, apart from that, there are going to be all kinds of animal parts in a mushy-water area like this one, because it is the migratory path for caribou. Tens of thousands of them. You'd have predators, as well as smaller creatures. Animals get stuck in deep mud: that's why collectors go to marshes to look for antlers.

Also, boggy areas naturally shift around, so bones found in shallow lakes can have originated on dry land. They could be human, they could be animal....This is why we can't reasonably assume that ancient peoples discovered by archaeologists in bogs actually lived in bogs during their life time. These ancient folks likely lived on dry land and nature inundated different areas during the course of time.

So, yeah, a thousand reasons to find any kind of bone in a boggy area like tundra.

 

[RickshawFan]

Here is the certification of the team. The Water Recovery Team

As far as I can tell, those are certificates for the credibility of team members with some background info, but nothing to say they are official or authorized by LE in this case. They seem to be private enterprise.

I see the enterprise is based in Florida. IMO their experience in tropical waters may or may not be relevant to a boggy tundra search in AK. But we might also ask, "Have they ever seen human-sized bones in a watery grave that are animal in origin, like caribou or bear?" LE's AK teams would be experienced in looking for deceased humans in the context of tundra and icy waters, with an eye to large skeletal remains. This would explain the different assessment of the lake-find by the Florida enterprise vs. AK LE/SAR.

 

[RickshawFan]

I wonder if the FL organization scouted the AK location before the whole team went out there? Anyone know?

 

[Rennfam]

Having a permit would not make a search "official", the same as having a "backcountry permit" doesn't make hikers official or a "driving permit" doesn't make drivers official. It's permission to do something or other, often involving a fee.

A search involving law enforcement or North Slope Borough (i.e. local government) is the official, authorized, search. LE is very clear they are in charge of searching. They haven't sanctioned any other organization (i.e. made them official). They have made this clear from Day 1. This is normal protocol, nationwide: local/state/federal government are the coordinating SAR body. Keel went missing on public land, too, so, yep, under government aegis and dependent on their authority.

The entities involved posted that they had the correct state and federal permits required to conduct a private search. This was the precursor to the LE recovery mission that was not successful. Even the dive team that accompanied LE said if they were to do a private search, they would have to get permits.

 

[Rennfam]

As far as I can tell, those are certificates for the credibility of team members with some background info, but nothing to say they are official or authorized by LE in this case. They seem to be private enterprise.

I see the enterprise is based in Florida. IMO their experience in tropical waters may or may not be relevant to a boggy tundra search in AK. But we might also ask, "Have they ever seen human-sized bones in a watery grave that are animal in origin, like caribou or bear?" LE's AK teams would be experienced in looking for deceased humans in the context of tundra and icy waters, with an eye to large skeletal remains. This would explain the different assessment of the lake-find by the Florida enterprise vs. AK LE/SAR.

You may be right although I could mot imagine taking the $$, driving from FL to AK for a job that they are not trained for. However, I also cannot imagine AK spending the $$ spent in what LE termed a "recovery mission" and engaging the divers and ANG, without seeing enough evidence of human remains first from the sonar photography. The FL team posted several times that well trained dogs would not confuse human and animal remains.

 

[Rennfam]

Do you have a map so we can see the layout between the camp and the lake where the remains were found? There is a lake near the base camp site, so that seemed to be the most logical lake to investigate. But you're saying it's not that lake?

The widow mentioned that it was not at the camp. I would have to find where she stated that. Then again, some things have been posted, edited and reposted so not sure about that.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

The thread title was updated so I'm assuming he actually wasn't found.

 

[RickshawFan]

You may be right although I could mot imagine taking the $$, driving from FL to AK for a job that they are not trained for. However, I also cannot imagine AK spending the $$ spent in what LE termed a "recovery mission" and engaging the divers and ANG, without seeing enough evidence of human remains first from the sonar photography. The FL team posted several times that well trained dogs would not confuse human and animal remains.

I can see your points: well-stated.

However, what we keep running into in this case is folks from SE lower 48 going to AK and thinking experience in AK is entirely unnecessary. There's been huge outlay for this, too. For instance, a team of local hunters were flown up from home early in the case. They appeared to believe they could do a way better job than the local SAR/LE folks: abundant bravado.

If the latest team had sent someone to scout the mission, I would have had more faith that their skills were applicable in tundra, icy water, etc. As of now, I'm not at all convinced a team from tropical waters would be relevant.

I have no idea what the protocol is for AK LE teams, but they are a public service, and I do recall they're required in case of a potential fatality discovery in wilderness. I also recall you aren't allowed to touch or remove potential human remains in the wilderness; the home team rails at length about having to leave the bones for authorities to examine and collect, but LE looks to be following standard protocol.

LE has also been under a lot of pressure to respond to this case, and this may have escalated the willingness to respond to the "find", though not in an emergency sense. We don't know what the photos showed or didn't show: it might simply have been the end of a long leg bone, maybe some ribs.

Overall, I wish the TN folks had not elected to do battle with locals from the beginning; they have never backed off, and here they are still. The accusations about AK LE dragging their feet in examining the remains are poor judgment IMO. There are weather issues, other folks (aka the living) are at priority for services, and they may have looked at the bone photos and concluded the odds of them being human were very slim (in other words, no need to rush and put everything else aside). This whole situation called for diplomacy and delicacy, but it wasn't happening.

 

[Rennfam]

Please link the source that they had a permit to do a search.
I don't see it mentioned in the wife’s Facebook or any of the articles.

As Rickshaw pointed out in the reply post there is a designated [official] search agency:
The Alaska State Troopers contacted the North Slope Borough, who remain the coordinating agency for the investigation and search for Steven Keel.

Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team Facebook
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/akdiverescue/posts/pfbid09YvdBru9fBSq9KEGMRNVtT4TTtKobhTvjxJBqktzgoNbEWVgDHjw8jLVwf6E6w2zl
They gave an informative reply to Collectables Etc.


Previous article with comment from the official searchers is why I'm curious about the permit and what kind of permit? A Commercial Special Use permit?

WSMV4 reached out to North Slope Search and Rescue for comment.

“There was a ground search, and over $200,000 spent in helicopter equipment and fuel,” North Slope Borough Public Information Officer David Fauske said. “This man never set foot in one of our communities. He didn’t have a permit to hunt in the area. He didn’t have Arctic gear on him or with him, and he wore camouflage clothing which made the helicopter searches extremely difficult.”

Friend speaks out about last time he saw missing hunter on Alaska trip

Alaska Argo Rentals, LLC posted on FB on August 22nd stating that they were contracted for the search and describing the permits. Their owner Brandon King also posted the same. This is what we have been up to... - Alaska Argo Rentals LLC

 

[RickshawFan]

The entities involved posted that they had the correct state and federal permits required to conduct a private search. This was the precursor to the LE recovery mission that was not successful. Even the dive team that accompanied LE said if they were to do a private search, they would have to get permits.

That's my understanding, too. Permits would be required. However, they would not constitute an "official" search, in the same way someone in my state with a fishing permit is not doing an "official fishing activity". There's no "official" except under the aegis of government. Private folks searching the wilderness are "informal" searchers, generally after the "formal" search has ended and government SAR (Plus SAR organizations called up by gov't) operations suspended: "official" means "government supervised".

In the area of this case, "official" means "under the aegis of the North Slope Borough gov't". Even federal officials are deferring to North Slop Borough as the lead handler.

 

[Rennfam]

I can see your points: well-stated.

However, what we keep running into in this case is folks from SE lower 48 going to AK and thinking experience in AK is entirely unnecessary. There's been huge outlay for this, too. For instance, a team of local hunters were flown up from home early in the case. They appeared to believe they could do a way better job than the local SAR/LE folks: abundant bravado.

If the latest team had sent someone to scout the mission, I would have had more faith that their skills were applicable in tundra, icy water, etc. As of now, I'm not at all convinced a team from tropical waters would be relevant.

I have no idea what the protocol is for AK LE teams, but they are a public service, and I do recall they're required in case of a potential fatality discovery in wilderness. I also recall you aren't allowed to touch or remove potential human remains in the wilderness; the home team rails at length about having to leave the bones for authorities to examine and collect.

LE has also been under a lot of pressure to respond to this case, and this may have escalated the protocol. We don't know what the photos showed or didn't show: it might simply have been the end of a long leg bone, maybe some ribs.

Overall, I wish the TN folks had not elected to do battle with locals from the beginning; they have never backed off, and here they are still. The accusations about AK LE dragging their feet in examining the remains are very poor judgment IMO. There are weather issues, other folks (aka the living) are at priority for services, and they may have looked at the bone photos and concluded the odds of them being human were very slim (in other words, no need to rush and put everything else aside).

As an Alaska, I wholeheartedly agree. I also say that AK is not Disney. I said that early on and was blocked from the search pages. The local authority has to request SAR. This is for budgeting and financial aspects. NSB has said (in personal correspondence) that anyone may search , within the permitting processes - which I am not into the weeds with.

I really am starting to think that the Aug and Sept teams searched different bodies of water. If you look at the widow's statement, and a particpant on her search page, it was silty and murky. If you look at the AK dive team it was covered in vegetation and only 2-3 feet deep. That contradiction sticks with me.

 

[Rennfam]

That's my understanding, too. Permits would be required. However, they would not constitute an "official" search, in the same way someone in my state with a fishing permit is not doing an "official fishing activity". There's no "official" except under the aegis of government. Private folks searching the wilderness are "informal" searchers, generally after the "formal" search has ended and government SAR (Plus SAR organizations called up by gov't) operations suspended: "official" means "government supervised".

In the area of this case, "official" means "under the aegis of the North Slope Borough gov't". Even federal officials are deferring to North Slop Borough as the lead handler.

Maybe "authorized" rather than "official" would be a better term.

 

[RickshawFan]

Maybe "authorized" rather than "official" would be a better term.

IMO, just "given permission". IMO all it would take would be a permit to make a dive in that lake, a permit to go into the area, and a permit for a commercial operation, and maybe some kind of out-of-state thing-y. And length of time. $$$$. Something like that. Some agency would have to sign off on the permits. I'll bet there's even fine print for the permits that this doesn't mean the activity is "authorized" or "official": there's no sponsorship involved, or testing of skill (though maybe some kind of diving credential is required), or evaluative review. Cf. the various hunting permits in AK allow you to hunt in a specific area, take a certain kind of animal, follow certain procedures and laws; there's no evaluation about whether you're a good hunter, only whether you're law-abiding.

 

[Rennfam]

IMO, just "given permission". IMO all it would take would be a permit to make a dive in that lake, a permit to go into the area, and a permit for a commercial operation, and maybe some kind of out-of-state thing-y. And length of time. $$$$. Something like that. Some agency would have to sign off on the permits. I'll bet there's even fine print for the permits that this doesn't mean the activity is "authorized" or "official": there's no sponsorship involved, or testing of skill (though maybe some kind of diving credential is required), or evaluative review. Cf. the various hunting permits in AK allow you to hunt in a specific area, take a certain kind of animal, follow certain procedures and laws; there's no evaluation about whether you're a good hunter, only whether you're law-abiding.

I think it is more involved bc State and Federal permits are necessary.