Three German Tourists Found Dead in Water Near ‘Shedding’ Alaskan Glacier
ICY END
The bodies of three German tourists were discovered on Tuesday in Valdez Glacier Lake, Alaska. Authorities believe the tourists were using an inflatable canoe on the frigid lake at the time of their deaths, as all three were wearing life jackets when they were found. Two of the bodies were found floating in the water, and the third was discovered on a sheet of floating ice. Sheri Pierce, a spokeswoman for the city of Valdez, told the Anchorage Daily News that foul play is not suspected, but that the glacier is currently “calving,” or shedding, and a falling piece of glacier ice could disturb the water enough to rock a small boat, like a canoe, if it came too close. “It’s dangerous getting near the face of glaciers like that,” Pierce said. “If they were knocked out of the boat due to a wake or a calving piece of ice, the water is very cold.” Their official causes of death have not been determined.