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Troopers Suspend Search For Missing Tununak Man

Tununak resident Jazmin James, age 26, has been missing since April 1, 2018.

Alaska State Troopers have called off the search for Tununak resident Jazmin James.

“When you keep doing the same thing with the same results, you have to stop at some point,” said Spokesperson Megan Peters. “It’s one of those difficult things.”

The 26-year-old left his village last Saturday to haul wood with a group of friends. His family expected him to return the next morning, on Easter Sunday, but James never came back. His father, Tununak Tribal administrator James James, says that Jazmin James was snowmachining ahead of his party near the coast.

"He got into an area where it was dangerous and kind of dark," James said. "I was told there must’ve been a little fog or mist."

He might have been driving a little fast; Jazmin James was eager to get home. Toksook Bay Search and Rescue workers found James’ snowmachine on an island near the coast on Sunday afternoon. It was only visible when the tide went out.

The Troopers have been looking for James for days by aircraft, boat, and snowmachine, but Peters said that they have found no sign of him. They informed James’ family that they were calling off their search on Tuesday night.

"I felt kind of hurt, in a way, but I’m very optimistic and hopeful," James said. Local search and rescue workers from Toksook Bay, Tununak, Nightmute, and Kipnuk are continuing to search for his son. He hopes that they will find remains that his family can bury.