Public Radio for Alaska's Bristol Bay
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Two unexpected deaths in Manokotak this week

5-year-old Daphne Mochin succumbed to drowning injuries Tuesday and William Maud, 37, apparently took his own life Wednesday night.

The village of Manokotak has been shook by two unexpected deaths this week. KDLG's Dave Bendinger has more:

KDLG: 5-year-old Daphne Mochin and two other girls were seen riding bikes towards school playground equipment late Monday evening. Instead they went into the area of the new sewage lagoon, which is fenced and locked. The girls apparently were able to climb underneath the fence. One woman said she believes the girls thought the lagoon was a place to swim.

Residents say a barking dog outside the fence alerted others to trouble, and the first responder scaled the fence and found Daphne Mochin drowned. The other two girls were fine. The responder, Andrew Nielson, performed CPR and was able to revive Mochin and stabilize her. She was taken to the clinic, then medevaced to the Kanakanak Hospital in Dillingham. Later, she was medevaced to the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. There, her condition worsened, and she died Tuesday of causes related to the drowning.

Her parents Matthew and Nica Mochin were believed to be traveling home with Daphne's body Thursday evening. Daphne Mochin had recently finished the Head Start program and was to begin kindergarten class this fall.

On Thursday, the body of 37-year-old William Maud was found by family in a shed. Maud apparently took his own life, possibly late Wednesday. Those who knew him were shocked by the news, saying Maud was a gentle, humble, friendly man who always had a smile on his face. He reportedly commercially fished this past season with family.