Sewickley native Will Harbison, a guide on the Taiya River in Alaska, saved five people after an emergency call to his colleague’s radio on June 5.

While preparing for the day at the river’s port, Harbison received word of a minor accident regarding a guest on Chilkat Guides Ltd., another boat on the river. After the guest was safely returned to shore, Harbison said that everything seemed to be fine.

Moments later, the boat collided with a log on the river, tipping the vessel over and plunging the seven passengers and the active guide into the water.

“I see their incident commander running at me with huge eyes,” Harbison said, explaining that once he’d seen the boat tip over, he sprang into action.

Harbison said that once the passengers were in the water, his first thought was, “We have to get a boat down to these people immediately,” as there are only a few minutes to react.

Harbison threw out his raft, paddled into the current, and began pulling people out of the river.

He pulled five people from the water, while the other two passengers were able to climb to shore safely.

The guide “broadsided” a tree that wasn’t there during his initial run of the river, and during the time the boat flipped over, it was a “rapid high side scenario.” His injuries required him to be hospitalized.

Though the fire department had arrived on scene and a rescue unit was waiting with medical equipment, authorities said that they are ill-prepared for river rescues due to a lack of training.

In contrast, Harbison has completed swift water training and been a wilderness first responder for over a decade, making him an experienced river guide, rescuer and gear manager logistics coordinator (his official title).

Though the job is dangerous and many people are unprepared to help, Harbison says that due to the recent media attention, his community is making strides towards progress.

“Other incidents have happened that aren’t talked about, and I’m super happy that I’m talking to the fire department and working on a new safety protocol,” Harbison said. “It feels really good to know that the guiding community is getting more attention.”

Harbison grew up in Sewickley and studied wildlife biology at the University of Vermont.

He attributes his love for the outdoors to his childhood environment, and days spent rafting at Ohio Pyle.

He studied abroad at what he called the “adventure capital of the world,” New Zealand, taking classes in spelunking, mountaineer guide training, rock and ice climbing.

After getting his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go into recreation. “It’s always been my dream – my main goal,” he said. “Ever since high school, I thought, ‘I want to be a guide in Alaska.’”

He is now a ski and snowboarding instructor in California, and a river guide in Alaska.

He said that like Sewickley, Skagway, Alaska, is a small town, and that just like in his hometown, “we rely on each other here.”

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