Alaska Man Monday: Instructive Otters and a JBER Bear Attack

Spring is confused this year in the Great Land. One day, sunshine, clear skies, everything melting. The next day – snow. Oh, it’s not amounting to any accumulation, but still. But then, that’s Alaska for you.

Now then: Who better than an otter to teach Alaska kids how to float?

Free “Josh the Otter” water safety classes in Palmer and Wasilla this spring will teach young children how to float, stay calm and use life jackets — critical skills that can save lives. The first class is scheduled for April 18.
The volunteer-led program is designed for young children and families, offering a simple, hands-on way for parents to help protect their children around water.
Alaska has the highest drowning rate in the nation, and drowning is the leading cause of death for kids ages 2 to 6, making early water safety education especially important.

That’s amazing. As for the drowning rate, my grandfather used to say that the kids who grew up along the river were never the ones who drowned. In eastern Iowa, where he farmed for his entire adult life, that was true because kids swam in the rivers in summertime. (I know I did.) But our Alaskan rivers aren’t really conducive to skinny-dipping. Too cold. So, our kids don't get that automatic swimming education.

The events are free, but children need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. They will be held at the Palmer Pool on April 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at the Wasilla Pool on May 16 from 12:45 to 2:15 p.m. Anyone wishing to sign up their child can learn more on Facebook or register online.
Grogan said the in-pool events are designed for children ages 3 to 6, but there is not a strict age cutoff.
“If they’re older, that’s fine. If they’re younger, as long as the parent is familiar with water, that’s fine, too.”

Sounds like a good idea, and a lot of fun.

Alaska Man score: Five, and you otter be able to figure it out.

Also, spring means the bears are coming out. When bears, both black bears and grizzlies, emerge from their winter naps, they come out hungry – and irritable. Two Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) soldiers on a land navigation exercise came across just such a hungry bear the other day; the soldiers are a bit banged up, but, fortunately, are going to be OK.

Two U.S. Army soldiers were injured after being attacked by a brown bear during a training exercise in Alaska, a report said.
The troops from the 11th Airborne Division were hurt Thursday while participating in a "land navigation training event" at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson's Arctic Valley training area in Anchorage, Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a spokesperson for the division, told the Anchorage Daily News.
"The safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority," Nederhoed added. "The incident is under investigation, and we are coordinating with local wildlife authorities to ensure the safety of all personnel in the area."
The soldiers, whose identities were being withheld pending notification of their next of kin, were "receiving appropriate medical care" as of Friday morning, Nederhoed also said.

A brown bear, which means a coastal grizzly, if the animal has been correctly identified. Those things can be real bruisers. It’s a shame the service members, as yet unnamed, got beaten up, but at least they are expected to recover. That’s good. And, again, that’s Alaska.

Alaska Man score: 2.5 out of 5 moose nuggets. Points for the soldiers being all right. Deductions for the bruin showing such poor judgment.

Now then, it's been a wet and dreary spring so far. Have a look:

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