ConocoPhillips’ Alaska unit president Jim Bowles was killed and a colleague was missing and presumed dead after their snowmobiling party was caught in an avalanche on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, state police said.
Bowles’ body was recovered near Spencer Glacier in the Grandview wilderness area by rescue workers around lunchtime on Saturday, Alaska State Police spokeswoman Megan Peters told Reuters. "Bowles was pulled from the avalanche debris and CPR was given for about 30 minutes before they stopped the effort," Peters said.
Bowles, 57, was with a group of about a dozen snowmobilers caught by the avalanche on the peninsula, south of Anchorage. The missing man, who ConocoPhillips identified as Alan Gage, was "presumed buried, presumed dead," Peters said. Gage was a member of ConocoPhillips' Anchorage-based capital projects team. Police told the Anchorage Daily News the search for Gage was due to resume yesterday, weather permitting. Bowles had led ConocoPhillips Alaska since late 2004.
In a statement released late yesterday, ConocoPhillips chief executive Jim Mulva said: “The entire ConocoPhillips family is deeply saddened and will greatly miss Jim Bowles, who has served our company with distinction.” Mulva said Bowles had presided over a number of projects “that ensured our company’s place and standing in Alaska and will serve as a legacy to his leadership as we go forward”. Alan Gage is a respected member of our capital projects organisation and has been a ConocoPhillips employee since 2006. We are hopeful the search for him can resume soon,” Mulva said.
