Petersburg Pilot -

HAINES, Alaska (AP) — A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a group of boaters from a sandbar in an Alaska river early Sunday, according to authorities.

The helicopter responded to a distress call near the southeast Alaska town of Haines and rescued the group of seven boaters and a dog from the Chilkat River shortly before 1 a.m., the Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday.

The group was flown to Haines for medical checks, but no one was injured, police said.

The boaters were identified as 30-year-old Gary Hinkle, 29-year-old Sierra Hinkle, 24-year-old Brittany Miller, 25-year-old Vinc...