Overview

Missing: December 2, 2023
Last Seen: Approximately 4:00 p.m.
Location: Healy Lake, Alaska
Destination: Healy Lake Winter Road Access near mile 9 of Cummings Road
NamUs: MP112746
Alaska State Troopers Incident: AK23124998

Main Circumstances

• Erickson left Healy Lake aboard a green, open-cab Polaris Ranger side-by-side.
• He planned to meet a friend at approximately 6:00 p.m.
• He never arrived at the meeting location.
• A pilot subsequently reported seeing what appeared to be a submerged side-by-side in the Tanana River along Erickson’s expected route.
• Searchers located Erickson’s side-by-side beneath the ice, but Erickson was not found.
• The operation transitioned from search and rescue to search and recovery on December 6, 2023, according to the Healy Lake Village Council’s tribal manager.
• Erickson remains missing.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Brian Edward Erickson Missing Person Case: What Happened Near Healy Lake, Alaska?

Brian Edward Erickson was 40 years old when he disappeared from the remote community of Healy Lake, Alaska, on December 2, 2023. What was expected to be an approximately two-hour trip ended with Erickson never reaching his destination and his Polaris Ranger later being found beneath the ice of the Tanana River.

More than two years later, Erickson has not been located. His disappearance remains listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System under NamUs case MP112746.

Very Brief Case Summary

Missing: December 2, 2023
Last Seen: Approximately 4:00 p.m.
Location: Healy Lake, Alaska
Destination: Healy Lake Winter Road Access near mile 9 of Cummings Road
NamUs: MP112746
Alaska State Troopers Incident: AK23124998

Main Circumstances

• Erickson left Healy Lake aboard a green, open-cab Polaris Ranger side-by-side.
• He planned to meet a friend at approximately 6:00 p.m.
• He never arrived at the meeting location.
• A pilot subsequently reported seeing what appeared to be a submerged side-by-side in the Tanana River along Erickson’s expected route.
• Searchers located Erickson’s side-by-side beneath the ice, but Erickson was not found.
• The operation transitioned from search and rescue to search and recovery on December 6, 2023, according to the Healy Lake Village Council’s tribal manager.
• Erickson remains missing.

Brian Erickson Leaves Healy Lake

At approximately 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, 2023, Brian Erickson left the village of Healy Lake aboard a green open-cab Polaris Ranger side-by-side. According to the Alaska State Troopers’ missing-person bulletin, Erickson and a friend had arranged to meet around 6:00 p.m. at the Healy Lake Winter Road Access near mile 9 of Cummings Road.

Erickson never arrived.

The Alaska State Troopers were notified the following day, December 3, at approximately 1:30 p.m., and Erickson was formally reported missing. His clothing at the time of his disappearance was not known.

A Submerged Side-by-Side Is Spotted in the Tanana River

The search quickly focused on a troubling discovery along the route Erickson was believed to have traveled.

A pilot flying over the area reported seeing what appeared to be a side-by-side submerged in the Tanana River. Alaska Wildlife Troopers responded, searching both from the ground and by helicopter. Erickson was not located during those initial efforts.

Erickson’s Polaris Ranger was ultimately accounted for and found beneath the ice in the Tanana River, according to later case information. The discovery provided investigators and searchers with a likely location connected to his disappearance, but it did not answer the central question: where was Brian?

Search Changes From Rescue to Recovery

As the days passed without finding Erickson, the nature of the operation changed.

Patricia MacDonald, Tribal Manager with the Healy Lake Village Council, told KTVF that the effort changed from a search-and-rescue operation to a search-and-recovery operation on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

That distinction was significant. Searchers were increasingly concerned that Erickson had entered the river and had not survived.

Community members and organizations from across the region joined the effort. Assistance reportedly involved the Tanana Chiefs Conference, Village Public Safety Officer program and people from communities including Tetlin, Dot Lake, Tanacross and Koyukuk.

Dive Team and Cadaver Dog Join the Search

On December 11, a search-and-rescue team from Anchorage arrived in Healy Lake with divers to search the Tanana River and a nearby slough for Erickson’s remains.

A cadaver dog was also scheduled to assist beginning December 12. At that point, searchers were specifically examining the possibility that Erickson was beneath the water or ice near where the vehicle had been located.

Despite the extensive effort, Erickson was not recovered.

What May Have Happened to Brian Erickson?

Publicly available evidence strongly focuses attention on the Tanana River because Erickson disappeared while traveling by side-by-side and the vehicle was subsequently found submerged beneath the ice.

However, finding the vehicle does not establish precisely what happened to Erickson.

There is no publicly documented evidence in the official missing-person bulletin or the established case summaries reviewed for this article showing that another person caused Erickson’s disappearance. The Charley Project currently classifies his case as Lost/Injured Missing rather than presenting it as a confirmed homicide.

The available evidence therefore supports distinguishing between what is known and what is suspected: Erickson disappeared while traveling from Healy Lake, his vehicle was found in the river, extensive searches failed to locate him, and his ultimate fate has not been officially established.

Latest Information on the Brian Erickson Investigation

Brian Edward Erickson remains listed in NamUs as MP112746, with December 2, 2023, recorded as his date of last contact in Healy Lake, Alaska.

The Charley Project added Erickson’s case to its database in October 2025 and lists the disappearance as unsolved. Its current case summary states that an extensive search failed to locate him and that his side-by-side was found beneath the ice in the Tanana River.

A public missing-person post also contained an update dated December 22, 2023, stating that Erickson remained missing after search and rescue personnel found his four-wheeler beneath the river ice.

As of the latest reliable records located for this article, there has been no publicly confirmed recovery of Brian Erickson and no publicly announced resolution of his disappearance. His NamUs record remains available, and the case continues to be treated publicly as an unresolved missing-person case.

Anyone with information about Brian Erickson’s disappearance should provide it directly to law enforcement rather than attempting to investigate individuals connected to the case.

Brian Edward Erickson Description

Brian was born February 8, 1983. He was 40 years old when he disappeared and was described as approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 245 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. The Alaska State Troopers’ bulletin listed no known scars, marks or tattoos.

His vehicle was a green open-cab Polaris Ranger side-by-side, which has since been accounted for.

Why Brian Erickson’s Case Remains Unresolved

The discovery of Erickson’s vehicle beneath the ice provides an important piece of evidence, but without locating Erickson himself, investigators cannot publicly establish every circumstance surrounding his disappearance.

The case is further complicated by the remote Alaska environment in which the search occurred. Searchers had to examine river and surrounding terrain, and specialized resources including helicopters, divers and a cadaver dog were brought into the effort.

For Erickson’s family and community, the unanswered question remains the same: what happened after he left Healy Lake on the afternoon of December 2, 2023?

Until Brian is located or additional evidence emerges, his disappearance remains unresolved.