The 10 Alaskans killed in the plane crash near Nome Thursday include a mentor to new teachers, a school counselor and two employees with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium who were traveling to service a local water plant.
The plane was on its way from Unalakleet when it quickly lost elevation over the sea ice. As the investigation into the cause of the crash continues, family, friends and colleagues of the victims are sharing stories of the lives lost.
Here’s what we know so far about the Alaskans on board Bering Air flight 445.
If you would like to share memories of any of those on board the flight for this story, please reach reporter Alena Naiden at anaiden@alaskapublic.org.
Rhone Baumgartner, 46, Anchorage
Rhone Baumgartner was one of two Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium employees on the flight who had traveled to Unalakleet to service the water plant.
Originally from McGrath, Baumgartner was also a bush pilot with enormous love and pride for Alaska, his friend Fiona Horne said.
Baumgartner was comfortable and happy living in extreme environments and dedicated his time to helping others, Horne said. In 2017, he and Horne met on the island of St. Thomas in the Caribbean while helping with recovery and rebuilding efforts after the catastrophic hurricanes.
“With his expertise in diesel generators Rhone was absolutely invaluable after the storms for many and he was so generous and kind with his time helping others,” Horne said. “He is one of the kindest and most pure hearted souls I’ve ever met.”
David Beveridge, a vice president of ANTHC’s Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, said that both Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, the other ANTHC employee, were motivated by a commitment to the health organization’s mission.
“They had the skills to help people across Alaska and the devotion to do so under any conditions. These two members of our team lost their lives serving others,” Beveridge said. “The loss of these two incredible individuals and everyone else on board the plane will be felt all over Alaska.”
Natasha Singh, ANTHC interim president and CEO, also said that Baumgartner and Hartvigson were passionate about the work they did and the communities they served.
“They were the best at what they did and had just flown into Unalakleet to help address heating and mechanical issues in the depths of winter,” Singh said. “They gave the ultimate sacrifice for the people we serve in the work we do. Everyone at ANTHC feels a sense of shock and loss because they were so crucial to our Rural Energy and Tribal Support teams.”
Baumgartner’s family asked for privacy during their grieving time.
Donnell Erickson, 58, Nome
Donnell Erickson was a Bering Strait School District mechanic who serviced school and city vehicles in Unalakleet, said Warren Katchatag, a Unalakleet resident and janitor at the local school who used to work with him.
Nome resident Michael Nichols also worked with Erickson.
“I was a fuel truck driver, and he was a mechanic,” Nichols said during a vigil in Nome on Friday. “He took care of the whole fleet and, not just here in Nome, but he actually traveled around the village taking care of a lot of stuff. Really good guy.”
Kameron Hartvigson, 41, Anchorage
Kameron Hartvigson, the ANTHC employee, was also a father of two boys, said his friend Michelle Russo.
“His boys were his entire world, and every decision he made was rooted in his love for them,” she said.
Russo said Hartvigson was known for being kind, generous and open.
“Kameron lived with an openness and sincerity that made everyone around him feel valued and loved,” she said. “Those who knew him will forever remember his ability to make people feel seen, his unwavering support for those he cared about, and the warmth he brought into every space he entered.”
Talaluk Driscoll LaRoi Katchatag, 34, Unalakleet
Talaluk Driscoll LaRoi Katchatag, known as TK by many, was a soft-spoken, wise and strong man who loved his family, his sister AyyuSue Katchatag said.
“Not only strong in stature, but in mind, and spirit. His soul was genuine, and he lived life so matter-of-factly,” AyyuSue Katchatag said.
His ex-wife Rachel Frankson described him as a strong-willed, hardworking and loving person, dedicated to his children.
“He worked hard. He loved hard,” she said. “My kids loved him with their whole heart and the news of this has been devastating for them.”
Carol Mooers, 48, Unalakleet
Carol Mooers was from San Antonio, Texas, but was a member of the Unalakleet community, her brother Adrian Mendiola said.
As a Unalakleet school counselor, she worked in every classroom and supported student activities even during weekends, school officials shared on social media.
Mooers was generous, dedicated and kind, Kelsi Ivanoff, Unalakleet’s city administrator, said.
“She was a pillar in our school, advocating for healthy minds and bodies for our youth,” Ivanoff said. “If there was a school event, you can guarantee she was there.”
Mooers supported students in all the ways she could — creating activities for them, fundraising and making sure every child had food to eat, Teri Paniptchuk said.
“She always made sure that our kids here were taken care of,” Paniptchuk said. “If needed she would be there right away to comfort our kids if they were having a hard day. Carol is one that we will never be able to forget.”
School secretary Myrtle Ivanoff Smith said Mooers was like a sister to her. She said she has recently found herself almost waiting for Mooers her to come into her office, so they can talk and share a laugh. School staff and students have filled the walls and windows of Mooers’ classroom with paper hearts and messages addressed to her.
Liane Ryan, 52, Wasilla
Liane Ryan was a retired teacher who mentored young educators in rural Alaska.
“She had such a cheerful and bubbly personality, and dedicated her post-retirement life to growing new teachers and encouraging them through those first incredibly tough years,” said Jamie Burgess, superintendent for Nome Public Schools.
Before retirement, Ryan worked as a science teacher and a volleyball coach at several schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. She shared her enthusiasm with her students and helped them find their confidence, said her colleague Lisa Vrvilo.
After retiring, Ryan joined the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project and visited rural schools to support new educators.
In Unalakleet, she was mentoring the fifth-grade teacher, said Warren Katchatag, the school janitor.
“She was always so friendly and always smiling and down-to-earth,” he said. “She will be greatly missed at the school.”
Ryan was also a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and daughter, said Vrvilo who also worked closely with Ryan’s family.
“She poured love into every moment with her family, and my heart aches for them,” Vrvilo said. “Her legacy of faith, kindness and unwavering support for others will live on in the hearts of those who knew her. My hope is that we honor Liane by continuing the work she loved so much — lifting up educators, empowering students and making a difference, one classroom at a time.”
Chad Antill, 34, Nome
Chad Antill was the Bering Air pilot of flight 445. He grew up in Idaho and first came to Dutch Harbor in Alaska when he was 14.
“He fell in love with fishing,” his father William Antill said.
Chad Antill split his time between Nome and Southcentral Alaska and often volunteered to support Nome’s basketball team, his father said.
He was close to his three young children and family, his great uncle Jim Antill said.
“Chad had a very adventuresome heart and he loved to help people,” he said.
The other Alaskans who died in the plane crash are 30-year-old Andrew Gonzalez of Wasilla, 45-year-old Ian Hofmann of Anchorage and 52-year-old Jadee Moncur of Eagle River. Attempts to reach their relatives and friends were unsuccessful as of Saturday.
This story has been updated.
