A seasoned goat hunter from Massachusetts met a fatal end during an expedition in the steep, forested hills outside Cordova, underscoring the raw hazards of Alaska’s backcountry pursuits.
John DeLuca, 67, was navigating the challenging slopes of Queen’s Chair—a jagged outcrop east of town, hugging the shores of Eyak Lake—when disaster struck on October 1. Around 10:45 a.m., while traversing a precarious ledge beneath a ridgeline with a family member, DeLuca slipped, triggering a chain of events that sent both tumbling down the mountainside.
The initial drop measured about 100 feet, but DeLuca continued sliding another 300 to 400 feet, suffering injuries that left him unresponsive at the base of the slope…