I was living in Anchorage when this happened. Alaskans were pretty unimpressed and the comments I heard mostly consisted of "Another stupid Cheechako, they always die."
Cheechackos, a deprecating term for newcomers to Alaska, come to Alaska seeking riches or isolation or escaping from something and failure is often the outcome even for the well prepared. I remember another incident where some black bears approached a homesteading family in an isolated area. The man, having no gun, put his wife and children on the roof of their small cabin while he took a skiff across a lake to summon help. By the time help arrived, the family had all been killed and fed upon by the bears. They think humans are yummy and can be more dangerous than the enormous brown Grizzly Bears. We always carried firearms when camping, hiking and fishing as help was often hours away and the wilderness is just 3 steps off the road.
