Anchorage man dies after being found floating in Kenai River

The man had been fishing in the area with friends, according to troopers

Alaska State Troopers logo.

Alaska State Troopers logo.

An 18-year-old Anchorage resident died Monday after he was found floating in the Kenai River, Alaska Wildlife Troopers said Tuesday.

According to a Tuesday dispatch, troopers were called just after noon on Monday and told that a man had been seen floating in the river near Bings’ Landing outside Soldotna. Jacob Wasielewski, who had been fishing in the area with friends, was pulled from the water by a boat operating on the river.

The occupants of the boat began CPR, the dispatch said, and brought Wasielewski to waiting emergency responders. Wasielewski was transported to Anchorage but died in an Anchorage medical center.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The dispatch does not say how Wasielewski came to be floating in the river or what condition he was in when recovered by the boat. Next of kin have been notified, the dispatch said, and his body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Northern Kenai fishing report: Local lakes stocked; Kenai River opens June 11

Some fishers are finding success on the Kasilof and in stocked local lakes.

Western Emergency Services logo. Homer News file photo
Wildfire reported in Ninilchik over holiday weekend

The human-caused fire spread to 1.6 acres before being contained.

Foliage surrounds the Soldotna Police Department sign on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna OKs $170,000 for new police camera system

The existing system was purchased only during the last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2024.

Winter Marshall-Allen of the Homer Organization for More Equitable Relations, Homer Mayor Rachel Lord, and Jerrina Reed of Homer PRIDE pose for a photo after the mayoral proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month on Tuesday, May 27 at the Cowles Council Chambers. (Photo courtesy of Winter Marshall-Allen)
City of Homer recognizes Pride Month, Juneteenth

Mayor Rachel Lord brought back the tradition of mayoral proclamations May 12.

File
Potential remains of missing Texas boaters discovered in sunken vessel

The vessel capsized 16 miles west of Homer in Kachemak Bay in August.

A sign for The Goods Sustainable Grocery is seen in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
New Saturday Market to launch this summer at The Goods

The summer bazaar will feature craftspeople from around the central and southern Kenai Peninsula.

Council member Alex Douthit speaks during a meeting of the Kenai City Council in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai loosens restrictions on employee purchase of city property

Municipal officers like city council members are still prohibited from buying property.

Mount Spurr is seen from the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, on May 11, 2025. (Peninsula Clarion file)
Likelihood of Spurr eruption continues to decline

Spurr is located about 61 miles away from Kenai and 117 miles away from Homer.

Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce President Dawson Slaughter (left) and Susie Myhill, co-owner of Anchor River Lodge and co-chair for the chamber’s sign committee, unveil the new “most westerly highway point” sign on Tuesday in Anchor Point. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Anchor Point chamber unveils new highway sign

The sign marks the “most westerly” highway point in North America.

Most Read