The following letter was written in response to an article published online May 28 reporting the death of Cordova resident Zakary Zeigler in a kayaking accident. The article cited a report by the Alaska Department of Public Safety noting that alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the incident.
The community of Cordova, Alaska is saddened by the loss of one of our young men Zak Zeigler. Zak, also known as Ziggy, lived the Cordova lifestyle, working in the fishing industry as well as being an active outdoorsman. You may know him from the ski hill. The community is saddened by his passing.
The article in The Cordova Times focused on the accident and the call to action of many agencies, local, state, and federal. What is troubling in articles such as these is the final paragraph about the possibility of alcohol and his not wearing a life vest.
Specifically, it states “alcohol is believed to have been a factor,” which is not necessary to add to this sad story. Believed means that, at this time, it has not been established, you may as well say space aliens may have been involved. Many of us were taught to not speak ill of the dead, and it does not help anyone to speculate.
Let the community remember Zak as a great guy who embodied the Alaska and Cordova spirit.
Nick Barshay
Cordova
