Body Of Ian Lutz Found In Chitina Woods Near Where His Car Hit The Ditch In February

 

Search & Rescue Teams Scoured The Area For 34-Year Old Man After Car Crash – Couldn't Find Him 

Reward poster on the Glennallen IGA bulletin board.
(Photo, Country Journal) 

When Ian Lutz disappeared after his vehicle drove off an embankment and crashed in a ditch at 30 degrees below zero on February 1st in the remote little village of Chitina, there was a vigorous response. Drones, dogs and helicopters were all used in an effort to find the man. The strain on local people was palpable as they struggled to talk about him on Anchorage TV news shows. A missing persons bulletin was issued on February 5th.

 SEE STORY OF SEARCH HERE 

But Ian Lutz – who lived in Anchorage – had disappeared. His tan SUV was found empty near the Chitina village apartments on the Chitina Village Road. The search was exhaustive. Even the dogs couldn't find him. It seemed like he had vanished into thin air.

In spite of all those high-tech efforts and on-the-ground community searches, he was gone. 

The story made statewide news, and in hopes that he had somehow safely made his way out of Chitina after the accident, posters offering a $5,000 reward were thumbtacked here and there,  including at the Glennallen IGA.

They showed his photograph. Ian Lutz: a husky, red-bearded outdoorsman in an Alaska cap beside the blue waters of a river. 

It turned to spring, and the young man's remains were finally discovered. 

At around 10:15 am on Monday, April 19th, a Chitina resident reported Ian Lutz's body around 70 yards from where the vehicle had hit the ditch, Troopers said. He was found at the edge of the woods.

There has been rapid melting of snow over the past week, and snow has been evaporating from the roadsides. 

According to Troopers there was no apparent sign of foul play.