18-year-old snowmobiler found dead days after friend rescued, Alaska troopers say

An 18-year-old snowmobiler missing nine days has been found dead near Kotzebue, Alaska, state troopers reported.

Thomas Brown of Ambler and Josiah Ballot of Selawik, also 18, set out for Noorvik at midnight Jan. 16 on a red and black Yamaha snowmobile, troopers said in a news release. However, they never made it to their destination and were reported missing.

Following extensive ground and air searches a private plane spotted Ballot 28 miles south of Kotzebue on Jan. 20, troopers said. He was airlifted to a hospital with severe frostbite.

The search for Brown continued until a helicopter found his body at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, about 10.5 miles south of Kotzebue near Cape Blossom, the release said.

Troopers did not say how the two men became separated.

Kotzebue is a city of 3,100 people about 550 miles northwest of Anchorage.

This story was originally published January 26, 2023 at 11:15 AM with the headline "18-year-old snowmobiler found dead days after friend rescued, Alaska troopers say."