Man found dead in Yukon after fish tender flips

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: St. Marys
Type: Death investigation
On 8/24/11 at approximately 0930 hours, St. Marys-based Alaska State Troopers were notified of an overdue Boreal Fisheries tender boat. The boat reportedly was supposed to have returned to the Boreal Fisheries dock, which is approximately 10 miles south of St. Marys on the Yukon River. The boat was last heard from at approximately 2300 hours on 8/23/11. At about 1040 hours, an AST Caravan from Bethel located the boat floating upside down and stationary approximately four miles downriver from Boreal Fisheries. The sole occupant and skipper of the vessel was reported to be Gerald Richardson Minock, 23, of Pilot Station. Approximately 10 boats and 30 searchers initially responded to the scene and searched the river between Pilot Station and Mountain Village. Weather conditions in the area last night were reported to be windy and rainy. At about 1245 hours, troopers were notified that two hunters located a deceased adult male in his early 20s floating in the middle of the Yukon River at the upper end of Thatcher Island below Mountain Village. The male was wearing a Boreal Fisheries life jacket. The body was transported to the St. Marys dock where, upon their return to the village at about 1530 hours, state troopers took possession of the body. The deceased male was positively identified by his next of kin as Minock. There were no obvious signs of trauma and alcohol does not appear to be a factor in this incident. Additional investigation by St. Marys troopers revealed that the 32-foot semi "V" hull with twin outboard motors appeared to have been overloaded, according to a fisherman who observed the boat when he offloaded fish around 2130 hours on 8/23/11. The transom reportedly was partially out of the water and the bow of the boat appeared to be low in the water, which resulted in only 6 to 8 inches of freeboard in the rough waters of the Yukon River. The state medical examiner's office was contacted and requested the body be transported to Anchorage for an autopsy. The body has been transported by state aircraft to Bethel and will be shipped commercially to Anchorage on the next available flight.