Lone caretaker at Point Retreat Lighthouse found dead in apparent suicide

Joseph Alaniz, 42, of Big Lake, was discovered Saturday when staff arrived to replace his shift, according to Alaska State Troopers

The Point Retreat Lighthouse on Oct. 2, 2025. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

A Big Lake man working as the operator and groundskeeper of the Point Retreat Lighthouse was found dead on Saturday due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Alaska State Troopers reported Tuesday.

Joseph Alaniz, 42, was the only person at the lighthouse about eight miles west of Juneau on the northern tip of Admiralty Island, according to a troopers dispatch.

"Lighthouse staff discovered Joseph after arriving by helicopter to replace his shift," the dispatch notes.

Troopers were notified about the death at 11:17 a.m. Saturday. Officials responded to the scene and determined the cause of death, according to the dispatch. The body has been sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy and next of kin has been notified.

The lighthouse constructed in 1904 was first manned in 1917 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.