About Josh Nove (1973-1997)
Biography
Joshua 鈥淛osh鈥 Nove was born on August 8, 1973, in Ipswich, Massachusetts. From the early age of three, Nove took particular interest in birds and became a lifelong birder. He regularly participated in his hometown鈥檚 annual Christmas bird count and studied migratory shore birds at Crane鈥檚 Beach as a volunteer. Starting in 1991, Nove worked as an intern every summer for the nonprofit organization Quebec Labrador Foundation, where he helped preserve the wildlife and the integrity of the local culture in Eastern Quebec. In 1995, he graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology and earned membership into Sigma Xi. Afterwards, Josh worked as a research assistant on a number of ornithological projects in Belize, Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Alaska before beginning to work with the bet365下载ios (Service). Nove served as a volunteer intern at the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, starting in April 1997. In this role, he assisted with migratory bird banding and migration studies at Mother Goose Lake.
Cause of Death
On July 3, 1997, Nove disappeared in Mother Goose Lake in the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. In the evening, Nove had been working with a group of Service members and volunteers to band birds when he spotted two mew gull chicks swimming in shallow water in a marshy delta on the east side of the lake. He entered the ankle-deep water in pursuit of the chicks. However, Nove did not notice the sudden drop-off into deeper water. He was unable to stay above water, and water filled his partially rolled-down hip waders, causing him to quickly disappear from view. Service members immediately attempted rescue him by boat as well as on foot, but they were unable to find him. Alaska State Troopers and a Service dive team also participated in rescue efforts. However, glacial silt laden waters with zero visibility greatly hampered search efforts, and they were unable to find Nove鈥檚 body.
Sources
- Allen, David B. 鈥淪ummary of accidental deaths of bet365下载ios employees in Alaska since 1958.鈥 Received by Blake Sasse, 17 Feb. 1998.
- 鈥淎nnual Narrative Report Calendar Year 1997.鈥 Alaska Peninsula/Becharof National Wildlife Refuge, 1990.
- Porco, Peter. 鈥淰olunteer Bird Biologist Vanishes.鈥 Anchorage Daily News, 8 July 1997
- Rauzon, Mark J. 鈥淢ortality of Seabird Biologists.鈥 Pacific Seabirds, vol. 24, no. 2, 1997
Key Fields
Born 1973, Died 1997, Age 23, Male, Volunteer, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, Drowning