Alaska Department Of Public Safety,State Troopers Public Information Office

Dispatch Text:

Update: On August 12, 2026, a search crew aboard a National Guard helicopter located a motionless body in a gully at the bottom of a tall cliff in the area Le was believed to have gone missing. On August 13, 2026, Alaska Wildlife Troopers returned to the location and were able to positively identify the body as Ben Le. Troopers have recovered the body, and it is being transported. Next of Kin has been notified.

Original: On August 10, 2026, the Alaska State Troopers received a report of a missing person in Port Armstrong. Colleagues of the missing individual said he had gone on a hike in the morning and planned to return by 4:30 pm. When he failed to return, they conducted a quick search by land and boat and then notified AST. Search efforts began on the morning of August 11, with the assistance of the Alaska National Guard, Juneau Mountain Rescue, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Fire Department Search and Rescue, SEADOGS, and the US Coast Guard. Extensive ground and aerial searches yielded no results. As of 8:20 pm, search efforts were halted for the night. The search resumed the morning of August 12 with additional assistance from the National Guard, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, and a thermal drone team.