Upon being notified that a person is lost, injured, killed, or is in need of immediate rescue, the commissioner of public safety or a designee may appoint a competent person to organize, direct, and guide a search and rescue party for the purpose of rescuing or retrieving the person or the person's remains. Only the commissioner, the commissioner's designee, or the person appointed to organize, direct, and guide a search and rescue party may authorize a person to participate in the search and rescue party.
Alaska Legal Code