Saturday, May 25, 2013

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Stranded Travelers Find Unique Solution Near Seward
Water taxi provides crucial transportation
By Heather Hintze
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SEWARD - Seward city crews worked through the night to free the Lowell Point Bridge from tons of debris. Residents were stuck out there for several days after water washed out the only road. But some still found a way to get to town.

“I feel like I have to do my part to help the locals out,” said Louis Garding.

Garding runs Alaskan Coastal Safari, a water taxi company. He’s made a number of trips to Lowell Point after the flood waters rushed in.

“There was one guy in town when the bridge washed out and all of his luggage was out at a bed and breakfast on Lowell Point and he wanted to get his luggage because he had to catch a plane last night,” said Garding.

Friday morning two passengers climbed aboard, while another person handed off a backpack. “I’ve got a clean clothes delivery for someone stuck in town!” shouted Teri Arnold.

Arnold says she’s grateful the water taxi could bring in some much needed supplies.

“This is the best $20 in and out of town I've ever spent in my life. Diet Coke, thanks Louie! It's the small things that make you comfortable,” said Arnold.

After spending the summer at Lowell Point, Ashlee Anderson will leave Alaska with some unique stories to share.

“I was talking to my family and said, 'The road is washed out and we have to take a water taxi back into town.' And they said, 'A water taxi? Can't you just take another road?' I said, 'There's only one way to get too us and the bridge just washed out,” laughed Anderson “What else are we supposed to do? Swim?”

A water taxi is not only a scenic way to get to town, sometimes it’s the only way. But locals know that comes with the territory.

“In Seward we're used to this kind of event and it takes a while to clean up from this and go right on living. It's the price you pay for living in a post card,” said Chip Arnold who was happy to have a backpack full of clean clothes.

With the Lowell Point Road now opened to limited travel, Garding won’t be making too many more trips back out there. He says it was such a busy summer, he’ll be happy to have his free time back.