The remains found in September by a Kodiak Island Trails Network volunteer have been identified by the State’s Medical Examiner as those of Francois Guenot, a French adventurer who disappeared in May. Five months ago Alaska State Troopers in King Salmon were notified by US Park Rangers in Katmai of a damaged kayak and backpacks that washed up on shore five miles north of Swikshak Lagoon.
State Troopers reported the kayak and backpacks belonging to Guenot, who was seen by officers of the US Fish and Wildlife Service on May 26th trespassing in a cabin and illegally using a net to fish in the creek. A search then started with the Coast Guard launching an MH60 Jay Hawk helicopter crew as well as an HC130 Hercules aircraft crew out of air station Kodiak.
However, it wasn’t until September 8th that Guenot’s remains, decomposed and wearing chest waders and a rain jacket, were found on the beach on Shuyak Island. The medical examiner used dental records to identify the body.