Troopers search for woman and juvenile after vehicle goes into Thorne River

A juvenile and an adult woman remain missing after a vehicle drove into the Thorne River near Thorne Bay on Thursday evening, Alaska State Troopers said. A second juvenile who was in the vehicle escaped and got out of the water alone.

Troopers received a 911 call at about 6:18 pm Thursday reporting that a vehicle had driven into the river near a bridge on Thorne Bay Road. Troopers, Village Public Safety Officers and other first responders went to the scene right away.

Searchers worked through the night by air, on the ground and on the water. They did not find the vehicle or the two missing people. Troopers said search efforts would resume Friday.

The Thorne River "is extremely high," troopers said in their Daily Dispatch report. The spot where the vehicle entered the water is estimated to be at least 20 feet deep and moving fast, according to the report.

Troopers have not released the names or ages of the people in the vehicle.

Village Public Safety Officers are state-funded officers who serve as frontline public safety workers in remote communities. The Department of Public Safety's VPSO Division administers state grants to 10 regional organizations that employ them.

Troopers are responsible under state law for leading search and rescue operations across Alaska, according to the department's search and rescue page. That work is often done with the Alaska National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard, local agencies and more than 1,100 trained volunteers. A statewide search and rescue coordinator is available around the clock to manage resources and provide operational guidance, the page states.