Soldier From Twin Cities Dies In Alaska During Hike: Authorities

FRIDLEY, MN — A soldier from the Twin Cities died after falling during a hike in Alaska, according to authorities.

Spc. Kyle Lee Gustafson, 34, of Fridley, was injured Sept. 2 along the Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage, authorities said. He was airlifted to a hospital and later pronounced dead, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Gustafson was an explosive ordnance disposal specialist under the Eighth Military Police Brigade and was attached to the 11th Airborne Division at the time of his death, authorities said. He joined the Army in 2020 and arrived in Alaska in May.

His father, Timothy Gustafson, told the Star Tribune that his son was one of five soldiers on a timed hike to earn four days off next month.

Kyle Gustafson served with the Marine Corps in Afghanistan prior to his Army career, according to the Tribune, which reported he was also a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and fought wildfires in the western U.S.

“The boy was quiet, but his actions were loud and loving,” his sister, Angela Gustafson, told the Tribune.