by Dan Milton
Pam was the first to arrive, and she made her way to the private terminal. Ernie and Jeff arrived next, and they caught a ride from the commercial to the private terminal. Pam, Ernie, and Jeff sat discussing what new information that Owen had. Just then, Owen and ‘the Russian’ walked into the room. Owen said, “I’m glad everyone could come.” As Owen pointed to ‘the Russian’ he said, “May I introduce Alexei Timofeyovich!”
No one could utter a word—it was complete silence as collectively everyone held their breath. Finally, Pam, the first to recover from the shock, said, “I have had these feelings since I first met you that you were somewhere in the reaches of my memory. But, I couldn’t quite make the connection.”
Jeff said, “We got to know you as a young man reading your journal. I am glad you are alive. I was not looking forward to finding your body inside the wreck.”
Alexei responded, “It probably would be better if my body was still in the wreck.”
Owen chimed in, “Enough of that kind of talk. Let’s sit down and hear your story. How about beginning the morning you left Iliamna on that fateful day.”
Alexei said, “Okay. I’m sorry that I deceived all of you especially because of your efforts to find the wreck. Twenty years has passed, but I still remember it as if it were yesterday. I think I mentioned in the journal that, in my journey through Siberia, there was a two-week delay. Those two weeks, coupled with other delays, put me in Iliamna at the start of the stormy season. After the boat had arrived, Captain Boyd checked the weather. We had to cross the lake to reach Kokhanok where I would be staying till the end of the war. The reports were not good. If we left right away, we would have a narrow window to miss the brunt of the storm. But, as fate would have it, we had engine problems and lost a couple of hours while we were still an hour or so from Kokhanok. That two-hour delay meant we would be facing the full force of the storm.”
Jeff interrupted, “Couldn’t you turn back?”
Alexei continued, “The wind had thrown us way off course, but Captain Boyd knew we were much closer to Kokhanok than to Iliamna. He made the decision to keep going forward after we got the engine re-started. But, fate again took hold. A huge wave caught us broadside as the Captain spun the wheel to avoid hitting a rock. Though the Captain did everything he could, we hit the rock with enough force to punch a hole in the side. The cargo we were carrying shifted with the impact. It was mechanical equipment and massive. With the load moved to the lee side of the boat and water pouring in the open hole, we began to go over. It was only a matter of minutes till we filled with water and began going under.”
With tears forming in his eyes, Alexei said, “It was the impact with the rock that broke the boom loose that swung out and struck Captain Boyd in the head knocking him overboard. I was too far away to do anything. The decks were covered with water as I struggled to get to the cabin were Lev was. I pulled him out, and he climbed up on the top of the cabin. Both of us were starting to shake uncontrollably in the cold water. I entered the cabin but could not get into the sleeping compartment below. My knapsack was in there. The parcel, I brought from my village, was in the knapsack. I tried to get in, but could not because of a jammed door. It was then that I saw my mother. She had been dead for over three years. She came to me in a vision and told me that I had the power. I knew then that I had to save Lev and myself. I crawled out of the cabin. Looking down at me was a pair of eyes. In Lev’s eyes, I saw trust; trust in me that I would find a way out.”
Pam said, “And I guess you did—for Lev and you.”
“Yes. On the aft end of the boat, hanging by one davit, was a dinghy. I managed to pull myself over to it and broke it loose. I crawled back to the forward cabin area. Lev jumped into my arms, and we crawled back and climbed into the dinghy. Tied to the floor of the dinghy was a paddle. I untied it and began paddling. The wind sprayed water everywhere. I could not see which way to go. I said a prayer, asking for help. If we were to survive, we needed to get to a sheltered part of an island. I kept paddling, and in just a few strokes, I felt the wind ease. A few minutes later I heard the lap of water on a gravel beach. With my prayer answered, I pulled the dinghy as far up on the beach as possible.”
Ernie asked, “How did you survive the night being soaking wet and cold?”
“I helped Lev out of the dinghy and I began looking for some fir trees. I figured we could stay dry under a tree, and we would be out of the wind. I was right. The needles under the tree were dry. I burrowed down into the needles and made a bed for the two of us. I decided to get out of my wet clothes. I laid them out to dry under the tree then got down in the hole I had made. I positioned Lev on top of me and covered us with piles of needles. We were both shivering terribly. I didn’t know if we would survive. I don’t remember falling asleep.”
Alexei said, “I woke when it was just getting light outside. I was stiff as a board. Lev was still lying on top of me. I felt his body, and it was warm. I knew that a portion of that warmth had kept me warm and alive during the night. I hated to disturb him, but I needed to get up. I felt for my clothes, and they were almost, but not quite, dry. I got dressed and climbed out from under the fir tree. The storm had blown itself out. I took a look around but could not tell where we were. The dinghy was still pulled up on the gravel beach. I called Lev, and he scrambled out from under the tree. The island was not large. In about two hours, we had walked around the whole of it. Looking in all directions as we walked, all, we saw, were other islands. I would have to wait for the low clouds to dissipate to know where we were and which direction we should head. Everything I had was in my knapsack—my papers, my money, everything. And, it was sunk somewhere.
When we got back to where we had spent the night, I looked inside the dinghy and found that there was a small 3 1/2 hp Evinrude outboard motor tied under the seat. There was also a one gal can of gas. I guess I was too tired last night to see it. It sounded as though the tank on the motor had some gas in it too. I didn’t know how far we could get, but at least there was some hope.”
Owen asked, “When it cleared up you should not have been that far from Kokhanok. Why didn’t you head there and get help?”
Alexei said, “As the low clouds cleared away, we could see Kokhanok from the island, maybe 4 or 5 miles away. I thought about leaving right then. But, something held me back. I began to realize that I had failed everyone. That I had lost everything of value my village owned. How could I face them once they realized I had let them down? I decided, probably wrongly, to let everyone believe I had drowned in the wreck. I was 16 years old! Once I made the decision, there was no turning back.”
Pam asked, “So what happened next?”
Alexei said, “Lev and I were getting hungry. There was nothing on the island that we could find to eat. Water was plentiful. I decided to cross the lake and head for the village of Newhalen. The day before we left, Captain Boyd had shown me the geography of the area on an old aerial survey he had in the boat.”
“I mounted the outboard on the back of the dinghy, pushed the dinghy off the beach and pulled the starter. It took quite a few pulls to get the motor running. Once it was purring like a cat, we headed away from the island. I knew I had to keep Kokhanok directly behind me to get to Newhalen. I hoped that, as I lost the sight of Kokhanok, I would be able to see either Iliamna or Newhalen—they were only a few miles apart. Sure enough, I was able to spot some recognizable land at Iliamna. I corrected the course for Newhalen. I had to use the rest of the extra gas, but we made it okay. We saw no one on our way. Probably no one wanted to go out right after the storm. I found a secluded beach to pull the dinghy up and hide it under some trees.”
Owen said, “Where were you heading?”
“I thought if I could make it to Lake Clark no one would know who I was or care. I figured I could get work there and maybe a place to stay.”
Owen commented, “That’s a long way to go on foot, and there are a lot of bears between Newhalen and Lake Clark.”
&nbs
p; “Yes. I stopped counting after five. We followed a trail that allowed us to skirt the main part of Newhalen. We stopped at a few houses outside of town asking to trade work for food. On the third place, I chopped a pile of wood, and Lev and I got to eat. We also got a little extra food I stashed in my jacket pocket. We found an abandoned shed outside the village and slept there for the night. Next morning we finished off the extra food we had and then headed for Nondalton following the Newhalen River trail. In Nondalton, we were again lucky to be able to trade work for food.”
“Lev and I stayed in Nondalton for a few years working for several people. One of them furnished us a room and meals. I also worked on fishing boats in Bristol Bay during the season and saved the money I earned. I met a couple who had a summer home in Port Alsworth on Lake Clark, and they asked me to work for them. They needed someone to do the work around the place during the summer and then be a caretaker the rest of the year. It was a good job. I liked them a lot. We got along great. He also had fishing boats on Bristol Bay. I ended up managing his boats during the fishing season. No matter where I went, Lev was with me.”
Ernie said, “It looks like you did alright.”
“Yes I did. There was a lot of hard work involved, but also some incredible luck. I mentioned the couple I worked for in Port Alsworth. The husband died a few years ago, and the wife did not want to come back. It was his thing not hers. She did not want the property, so she deeded it over to me. She also gave me a half interest in their fishing operation on Bristol Bay. So all-in-all, I am doing well. I was able to pay cash for the boat I just bought on Lake Iliamna.”
“Now you understand my dilemma. I can’t go back without the village’s wealth and register. I could duplicate the value of the diamonds, but I couldn’t copy the Icon and the register. Once they knew I was wealthy they would say I stole their property and used it for myself. So, we must find the lost treasure so I can return it. How has the search gone? What is the latest?”
Ernie said, “The best hope, we had, was a mast and rigging we found off a sunken island near Kokhanok. We took the pictures Pam had taken at the dive site to the boat builder in Portland, and he said the mast was too small for the vessel. He further said that the rigging hardware was not the same as they used on their masts. So, in essence, we struck out.”
Alexei said, “Do you have the pictures with you?”
Ernie said, “Yes. We brought them along. Here, take a look.”
After staring at the pictures for some time, Alexei said, “This photo—I’ve seen that mast before. It was part of the cargo we had on board the boat that day. It was a double-ender’s mast for delivery to a fisherman in Kokhanok. That sunken island site must be where we went down. My new boat, MV-LEV, is available, and I’ve got the money, so count me in to finance the recovery. We must find the wreck.”
On their flight back to Seattle, Ernie said, “Jeff, do you remember when we were extremely disappointed as we drove back after talking to the boat builder? You asked ‘what now’? Well, the answer is; it’s back to Lake Iliamna!”
Summer of ‘65
As they enjoyed a lunch break at the University cafeteria, Jeff said, “Ernie, do you think we’ve found the wreck? Or is it just that Alexei wants it so bad he will jump at the slight possibility that he remembers the mast in the picture? After all, it has been over 20 years, and he was just a kid then.”
“Even if we assume that Alexei is correct, and the mast in the picture is the one they were delivering, we still have some difficult questions. We know from the photos that the earthquake buried the wreck completely. We have a jumble of trees scattered over the site. How is the wreck situated? How much rubble is on top? How do we get into the main cabin? How much time will we need to excavate and recover the contents? Who should we involve? I have done some mechanical work under oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, but have never been involved in a major recovery or salvage effort.”
“Neither have I. It looks like we have a lot to learn in a relatively short time, to dive on the wreck this coming summer. What’s the possibility of finding someone who can help us?”
“Remember our last dive in the San Juan Islands with the Sounders? We met a new member of the club. I think he said he had been a hard-hat diver in the Navy. Let’s try to get in contact with him and see if he has any suggestions. I believe his name was Chet. Yes, it was Chet Mc Andrews. I’ll find out his number and give him a call.”
After lunch, Ernie called a number of contacts until he was able to get Chet’s phone number. He dialed and got right through. “Chet is that you?”
“Yes it is.”
“This is Ernie Donald. We met a few weeks ago diving in the San Juan’s with the Sounders diving club.”
“Yes. I remember. You talked about some of your experiences diving at Lake Iliamna in Alaska.”
“Yes, that’s right. We have need for some help this coming summer on a salvage and recovery operation in Lake Iliamna. I’m looking for someone with diving experience that can join us in that effort for roughly a month. There would need to be some detailed planning done over the next several months.”
“It sounds like something that would interest me personally. I retired from the Navy after 30 years. I spent the majority of my time in hard-hat and SCUBA ship repair, salvage and recovery operations.”
“Your experience would be a great addition to our team. Would it be possible to get together with Jeff Roberts and myself to discuss the details? I believe you also met Jeff that weekend on the San Juan dive.”
“Sure, when would you like to get together?”
“How about this coming Saturday, say about 9:00am, at my place?” After providing Chet with directions, Ernie called Jeff and let him know the time of the meeting.
It was a typical gloomy Saturday in Seattle. It had been drizzling for days, and there was no letup in sight. Inside Ernie’s apartment, the mood was much different. It looked like Ernie and Jeff had found just the right person to help them satisfy their curiosity about the ghost image they first saw during the summer of ‘61. The pieces were coming together at last.
In the meeting, Ernie, Jeff, and Chet began laying out a plan for the recovery operation. Chet spelled out the equipment they would need to rent for the salvaging part of the project. It included an underwater hydraulic reciprocating saw, an underwater air hammer drill, underwater chainsaw and, to power those tools, a mobile hydraulic power unit. In addition, they would need to get Alexei to upgrade his boat; the power winch and boom would have to handle heavier loads. They would also need to have fabricated some large metal baskets. The dive team would use them to load rocks, and the more substantial rubble removed from the wreck, and then winch and dump the loaded baskets off the site.
It was decided to form two dive teams. Ernie and Pam would compose one team and Jeff and Chet the second. Underwater salvage and recovery would be under the direction of Chet. Operation of the boat and its equipment would be Alexei’s responsibility while Owen would handle any problems flying in replacement parts or other last minute supplies. Whichever of the dive teams were not in the water would be overseeing the dive equipment, air compressor and hydraulic power unit on board the boat. One of the primary responsibilities they had was to keep the air tanks full.
During the following week, Ernie managed to get through to Owen and let him know the current plan. He was pleased that they were able to find another person with dive experience especially in the specialty they needed. He said he would keep his charters to a minimum during the time they would be on the lake and would make his home base Kokhanok during that time. Owen said he would be seeing Alexei next week in Lake Clark and would let him know the plan.
Ernie also got hold of Pam. She said she would be dropping a member of the corporation off at Seattle International the following Saturday and staying overnight. Pam said, “Maybe I could have dinner with you and Jeff and see where we are with the planning for this coming summer.”
“Sounds great… Wh
ere are you staying?”
“I will be at the Four Seasons. Pick me up at 6:30pm. My boss made reservations for us at Canlis at 7:00pm.”
“Fine... I’ll pick you up at 6:30pm. Oh, by the way, we have a new member of the dive team. He’ll join us at dinner tonight so you can meet him. He retired from the US Navy as a Master Diver. His specialty was salvage and recovery operations. I think he’ll be a great addition. Jeff is picking him up in his TR-3 and will meet us at Canlis.”
“Looking forward to it. See you at 6:30.”
As Ernie was driving to the Four Seasons to pick up Pam, he was trying to figure how he was going to afford a meal at Canlis knowing it was one of the top restaurants in the city. On a student’s income, it would probably max out his credit card, and Jeff’s as well.
Pam got into Ernie’s Austin Healey, which in some ways, reminded her of the B-25s she had flown. She immediately put his mind at ease when she said, “My boss gave me permission to treat everyone to dinner tonight. His way of saying thanks for continuing the effort to find the wreck.”
“That’s great! One of these days maybe I’ll get to meet him.”
After Chet’s introduction, the group sat quietly for a few moments at their table in Canlis overlooking Lake Union and the Cascade Mountains. It was a breathtaking view.
Chet, breaking the reverie, said, “Pam I understand you flew during the war.”
“Yes. I was a civilian ferrying pilot. I would pick up B-25s from the factory in the mid-west and fly them to Ladd Field in Fairbanks, Alaska. I provided orientation and a test flight with the Russian pilots, none of whom could speak English; it was lucky that I learned Russian from my parents. Then they would fly the aircraft to Russia. I also ferried fighters and other types of bombers, though the bulk of my flights were on the B-25s. I understand you also saw service in the war.”
