Eugene Peltola Jr, the husband of the Democratic Alaska congresswoman Mary Peltola, has died in a plane accident in his home state, a spokesperson said.
“We are devastated to share that Mary’s husband, Eugene Peltola Jr – ‘Buzzy’ to all of us who knew and loved him – passed away earlier this morning following a plane accident in Alaska,” Anton McParland, the congresswoman’s chief of staff, said in a statement to media.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was investigating the crash of a Piper PA 18-150 Super Cub that went down at 8.48pm on Tuesday under unknown circumstances near St Mary’s, about 440 miles (710km) west of Anchorage.
“The pilot flew a hunter and the hunter’s equipment to a remote location 64 miles away from St Mary’s,” the NTSB said in a statement.
“After leaving the hunter, the plane took off to return and appears to have crashed in an area of remote, mountainous terrain. The pilot was the only person on board.”
NTSB investigators were responding to the scene with the Alaska national guard, the agency said. The agency leaves identifying victims to local officials, but the NTSB chairperson, Jennifer Homendy, spoke about a crash that killed the only person aboard, presumed to be Eugene Peltola Jr.
As described by the Anchorage Daily News, Peltola Jr was a “former regional director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for Alaska, serving in that position from 2017 to 2022.
“He had previously spent 34 years working in the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska. Among other roles, he served as vice-mayor and council member for the city of Bethel between 2010 and 2012 and sat on various Alaska Native village corporation organisations.”
Mary Peltola became the first Alaska Native in Congress when she won her seat in the US House in a special election and then defended it in the 2022 midterms, twice defeating the former governor and Republican vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin.
McParland said Eugene Peltola “was one of those people that was obnoxiously good at everything. He had a delightful sense of humor that lightened the darkest moments. He was definitely the cook in the family. And family was most important to him. He was completely devoted to his parents, kids, siblings, extended family, and friends – and he simply adored Mary. We are heartbroken for the family’s loss.
“Mary is returning home to be with their family, and we ask that their privacy be respected during this time. Our team will continue to meet with constituents and carry on the work of the office while Mary and her family grieve.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting
