The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-05-24
pA(IFI(N. w. Body of Seaman Moft Located RIVERS RISE; On Mi. Juneau, Recovered and AREAFL00DED Brought Down by Parties Today

Comdr. E. P. Chester, Jr.. director of the search, by walkie-t talkie, who informed them that another party, consisting of Fred Harris and Dam- age Controlman Second Class Ray mond Sandy, had sighted eagles cir cling position nearby. An investi- gation led them to the body but they were not equipped to approach 1t and to bring 1t down at that time.
 Falls 450 Feet
 The Mahaffey. Pennsylvania. sail- or had apparently fallen 450 feet from the 1.950-foot level on Mount Juneau where his tracks were last seen. The body was recovered at the 1,400-foot level where 1t was partially buried in slide debris Of rocks and branches
 District Ranger Larry Zack. who was in charge of today's party, said he believed the youth was hurled down the mountain side with slide which took his feet from under him. Death was believed to be instantan- eous The body had evidently been covered with snow for two or three days and there were no signs of decomposition or damage from birds or animals. The body. however. was badly damaged by the fall with many bruises, at least one broken arm and leg and severe gash on the head.
 Zack's party, which went ahead to prepare the body for the descent. left the Basin Road at 6 a. m. today and was closely followed by party under Gene Hulk which prepared the trail for the return trip. The first group reached ridge above the body about 8 a. m. and had it ready for the descent at 9 q. m. After a brief rest and the complee tion of trail preparations. both groups began their descent at l0:l5 &. m. and reached the road again at II .45 am where the Charles w. Carter Mortuary hearse was waiting to receive the remains.
 The corpse was placed in canvas sack which was lashed to toboggan and then let down the mountain with a 5o0-foot rope.
 Father Arrives The youths father arrived here Saturday evening via Ellis Airlines from Ketchikan where he had been brought by the Naval Air Transport Service. He stayed with Chester on the top of the Juneau Federal Building during most of the opera ton but was at the Basin Road when his sons body arrived there. When he heard that the remains were pretty badly bruised. he asked Chester to make the official identi- fication.
 The father. Ralph H. Mott, a structural ironworker. was consid- erably shaken by the evidence of his sons death. He and Mrs. Mott have two other sons. One. Bill. 19, is 2 Corporal in the 82nd Airborne Di- vision. stationed in Japan. The other, Bob. IA, is attending high school. The body will probably be returned to Mahaffey Pennsylvania. for intermept. Chester is making arrangements with the Navy for transportation of the body and the father.
 The younger Mott was first dis covered missing on May IA during a visit here of the U. & s. Astoria on Naval Reserve cruise. He had been seen on the mountain by five ship mates who assisted in the first two days of the search which also de- layed, for 24 hours. the cruisers sail ing time
 Search Parties
 Tn addition to Zack others in the party which brought the body down were J. Malcolm Creamy. who also photographed the expedition Bill Barron. Glen Millice. Norman Buoy. Albert Shaw, Dean Williams and Ed Peyton. In the trail party led by Hulk were Apprentice Sea- man Frank Burt, Seaman Robert Lee and Fireman Bill Fitzgerald. all of the Wachusett, and Buck Harris.
 Yesterdays parties, in addition to those mentioned previously, also in cluded Burt. City Engineer J. L. McNamara, Fred Harris and Alex Daroff.
 The search for Mott was through the efforts of several agencies in- cluding the Mayors Office, the Fire Department. U. s. Commissioner. Navy. Coast Guard and the Gov ernor's Office with intense personal efforts being made by Bill fsixson, Mayor Hendrickson and Fred Har-