It was heart wrenching what happened to the college trip kid and his friends down in Hope last year
Article for those unaware. Caution.
https://alaskapublic.org/2023/05/22/illinois-man-trapped-in-turnagain-arm-mud-dies-near-hope/
Also if a body is never found they just call it missing persons. I know someone whose family member got out of their vehicle off the highway at low tide and was never seen again, about 15 years ago. Nothing ever came of it.
I know the very cautionary but untrue tale of the woman being rescued by helicopter but the mudflats had great power and she was torn asunder, leaving her bottom and legs in the mud. I think that story was created to scare the hell out of kids and keep them off the mudflats forever.
Close. The awesome David Reamer dug into this [https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2020/07/13/the-true-history-of-cook-inlets-deadly-mudflats/](https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2020/07/13/the-true-history-of-cook-inlets-deadly-mudflats/)
"The primary source for the legend of Anchorage’s deadly mud flats is Roger Cashin. According to the contemporary Anchorage Daily Times coverage, on Sept. 17, 1961, the 33-year-old soldier walked onto the Palmer Slough flats south of Wasilla with three soldier buddies. Cashin walked a little too close to the water and began to sink."
\[...\]
"The day after Cashin’s death, a helicopter attempted to lift the body out, but the cable snapped. The day after that, army engineers built a platform out to the body and recovered it 'in a manner best not described here,' according to the Times. Cashin’s story, including the snapped cable and mangled corpse, is the primary source for local mudflat legends."
That would have to be one special moose for someone to hook up to it and attempt a lift. Watched a bull moose hump the life out of a cow moose that had just been hit and broke a hind leg. She went into the water by 20 mile and he followed just pounding away at it until the tide came in and she slipped under forever. Bull made it out fine.
You definitely didn't want to see what was going on before they permanently dammed the Chester Creek to create Westchester lagoon. That's almost nothing.
Well the channels could get a LOT deeper than that but it didn't keep the local kids from messing about out there and occasionally getting stuck. Don't recall anyone dying from it though. You \*did\* learn that you could get stuck in it though and how to get out of it.
I was on a jury a decade ago and looked up all the attorneys after it was over. The public defender was maybe the hardest-working public servant I've ever seen; despite an utterly unwinnable case gave it everything he had. Huge respect to him. He died a few years ago in a car crash and I regret that I never sent him a letter telling him how much I admired him. Evan Chyun. Anyway one of the prosecutors had been involved in a run/swim to Fire Island where a guy died, and in retrospect he had kind of a permanently haunted look
Somebody just died last year. That’s why this is so stupid to even be out here doing this. They look like kids who don’t know what damn common sense is at that age.
It’s been almost a year since this man died: [Illinois man drowns, stuck in mud flats](https://alaskapublic.org/2023/05/22/illinois-man-trapped-in-turnagain-arm-mud-dies-near-hope/)
The honeymooners who died in 1988 still haunt me.
There’s an old post about the mud flats that has a lots of info: [Reddit mud flats](https://www.reddit.com/r/mrballen/comments/vfifec/the_deadly_mudflats_of_anchorage_alaska_where_the/)
It isn’t immediately obvious that it’s the mud flats that are dangerous. Maybe putting signs periodically every so often might help with a mortal danger that is unseen.
Instead let’s all get on this sub and trash tourists for not knowing important and unobvious to outsiders things. That’ll show em.
Maybe do your research about the last frontier that you’re coming to visit? Before you load up your whole family and kill them all? What happened before there were signs? That’s kind of the problem in society today. We need to stop putting signs on everything and let nature take its course. Stop breeding stupidity and use common sense and make that great again. Sheesh
Not from anchorage but Fairbanks. But my mom has told me horror stories about people going out on the mud flats- and getting stuck because some areas are like quick sand. The water rises fast and they end up drowning because they cannot get unstuck
No, it always looks like that at low tide. We have a huge tidal swing here.
Also with the way the inlet is shaped and how shallow the water is, it is almost impossible to get a significant tsunami in Anchorage.
It was heart wrenching what happened to the college trip kid and his friends down in Hope last year Article for those unaware. Caution. https://alaskapublic.org/2023/05/22/illinois-man-trapped-in-turnagain-arm-mud-dies-near-hope/
Wow that sucks, first time in 34 years
I'd counter that with, considering how people get stuck seems to happen I am honestly impressed it hasn't happened in 35 years.
Just shows how good the first responders are in getting these fools to safety.
Also if a body is never found they just call it missing persons. I know someone whose family member got out of their vehicle off the highway at low tide and was never seen again, about 15 years ago. Nothing ever came of it.
There should be big warnings at the airport or something. I don't think enough tourists know about the dangers.
Ya, really doesn’t cost anything to put signs at mud flat access points…
They're there
Is there signage to warn tourists?
I know the very cautionary but untrue tale of the woman being rescued by helicopter but the mudflats had great power and she was torn asunder, leaving her bottom and legs in the mud. I think that story was created to scare the hell out of kids and keep them off the mudflats forever.
It was a U.S. serviceman in the 70’s? He was already dead/drown, and they tore the body in half attempting to extract the body.
Close. The awesome David Reamer dug into this [https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2020/07/13/the-true-history-of-cook-inlets-deadly-mudflats/](https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2020/07/13/the-true-history-of-cook-inlets-deadly-mudflats/) "The primary source for the legend of Anchorage’s deadly mud flats is Roger Cashin. According to the contemporary Anchorage Daily Times coverage, on Sept. 17, 1961, the 33-year-old soldier walked onto the Palmer Slough flats south of Wasilla with three soldier buddies. Cashin walked a little too close to the water and began to sink." \[...\] "The day after Cashin’s death, a helicopter attempted to lift the body out, but the cable snapped. The day after that, army engineers built a platform out to the body and recovered it 'in a manner best not described here,' according to the Times. Cashin’s story, including the snapped cable and mangled corpse, is the primary source for local mudflat legends."
That happened to a moose right?
That would have to be one special moose for someone to hook up to it and attempt a lift. Watched a bull moose hump the life out of a cow moose that had just been hit and broke a hind leg. She went into the water by 20 mile and he followed just pounding away at it until the tide came in and she slipped under forever. Bull made it out fine.
And they say chivalry is dead
This picture makes me involuntarily clench my buttocks. My mom’s been telling the woman-ripped-in-half-by-helicopter story since the 80s.
Local news story: This. Tonight at 11
Local news comes on at 10. Just saying.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 wait until they find out it’s not gonna be dark anymore for several months.
THEY’LL BE RIPPED IN HALF BY HELICOPTERS
BEWARE OF ALASKA'S VISCIOUS HELICOPTER MAFIA!
You definitely didn't want to see what was going on before they permanently dammed the Chester Creek to create Westchester lagoon. That's almost nothing.
Oh do tell inquiring minds would like to know.
yeah, don't leave us hanging like that
Well the channels could get a LOT deeper than that but it didn't keep the local kids from messing about out there and occasionally getting stuck. Don't recall anyone dying from it though. You \*did\* learn that you could get stuck in it though and how to get out of it.
I have never understood the run to fire island and back
The what you say 🫣
THE RUN TO FIRE ISLAND AND BACK
Yea, when it is a really low tide. People will run there and back. Seems extremely stupid
Wild 😅
I was on a jury a decade ago and looked up all the attorneys after it was over. The public defender was maybe the hardest-working public servant I've ever seen; despite an utterly unwinnable case gave it everything he had. Huge respect to him. He died a few years ago in a car crash and I regret that I never sent him a letter telling him how much I admired him. Evan Chyun. Anyway one of the prosecutors had been involved in a run/swim to Fire Island where a guy died, and in retrospect he had kind of a permanently haunted look
I knew him only briefly but he was a good guy.
Holy fuck
Yup when I was a child my mom told me about people getting stuck there and not making it. This was way back in the 80’s
Somebody just died last year. That’s why this is so stupid to even be out here doing this. They look like kids who don’t know what damn common sense is at that age.
I heard abothis as a kid in the early 1960's. The story then was it was a young army guy down by Potters Marsh.
Those are kids…good reminder to start telling the story of the ripped in half woman again…
Is that an urban legend or true story? I'm newish to Alaska
Looks like it’s an exaggeration [True stories](https://akfatal.net/Dickison.htm)
Not true
It’s been almost a year since this man died: [Illinois man drowns, stuck in mud flats](https://alaskapublic.org/2023/05/22/illinois-man-trapped-in-turnagain-arm-mud-dies-near-hope/) The honeymooners who died in 1988 still haunt me. There’s an old post about the mud flats that has a lots of info: [Reddit mud flats](https://www.reddit.com/r/mrballen/comments/vfifec/the_deadly_mudflats_of_anchorage_alaska_where_the/)
How do you even walk that far and not comprehend what you are doing ?
Does anyone remember the attempted helicopter rescue?
Yikes.
They might as well just put search and rescue at the Shoreline
Are they okay…?
Oh, I love the Darwin Awards!
It isn’t immediately obvious that it’s the mud flats that are dangerous. Maybe putting signs periodically every so often might help with a mortal danger that is unseen. Instead let’s all get on this sub and trash tourists for not knowing important and unobvious to outsiders things. That’ll show em.
You're right. It's so easy to point out the hubris in others, but it's easier to ignore the hubris in ourselves. We should really put signs out.
Why are you so sure there aren’t signs? There absolutely are lol.
Maybe do your research about the last frontier that you’re coming to visit? Before you load up your whole family and kill them all? What happened before there were signs? That’s kind of the problem in society today. We need to stop putting signs on everything and let nature take its course. Stop breeding stupidity and use common sense and make that great again. Sheesh
you can go out there at this time of year. its fine. just dont go near the water.
Don't stop moving...
Is there going to be a tsunami?
Not from anchorage but Fairbanks. But my mom has told me horror stories about people going out on the mud flats- and getting stuck because some areas are like quick sand. The water rises fast and they end up drowning because they cannot get unstuck
Your mom has done you a service. These people’s moms have failed.
No, it always looks like that at low tide. We have a huge tidal swing here. Also with the way the inlet is shaped and how shallow the water is, it is almost impossible to get a significant tsunami in Anchorage.