The Dallas Safari Club and Dallas Safari Club Foundation join the hunting and conservation community in mourning the loss of Cabot Pitts, a respected Alaska registered guide, outfitter, bush pilot, conservationist, and President of the Alaska Professional Hunters Association.
Cabot, 42, tragically passed away on September 17 in a plane crash near Snag Creek in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Also lost in the crash was 18-year-old Connor Helsel of Michigan, an employee of Cabot’s who had long dreamed of experiencing and working in Alaska. Their loss has been deeply felt by their families, friends, and the outdoor community.
While attending Virginia Tech, where he competed as a collegiate swimmer, Cabot began traveling to Alaska during the summers to work as a packer for a hunting operation. After graduation, he made Alaska his permanent home and pursued his dream of becoming a professional outfitter and guide.
Cabot went on to become the owner and operator of Alaska Wild Wind Adventures, guiding hunters in some of Alaska’s most renowned and remote areas, including Katmai National Preserve and Wrangell-St. Elias. He was also an experienced bush pilot, combining his passion for aviation with his career in the backcountry.
Beyond his work as an outfitter, Cabot was deeply committed to Alaska’s hunting community and wildlife conservation. As President of the Alaska Professional Hunters Association, he dedicated his time to supporting professional guides, responsible hunting, wildlife management, and the future of hunting traditions.
Above all, Cabot was a husband and father. He leaves behind his wife, a two-year-old daughter, and an infant son who was only one week old at the time of his passing.
Supporting the Pitts and Helsel Families
In the wake of this tragedy, Dallas Safari Club Foundation’s Global Care Fund is providing financial assistance to both the Pitts and Helsel families.
The Global Care Fund was created to provide financial relief to individuals and families following serious injury or loss of life connected to work within the hunting and conservation community. It is one way DSC Foundation can stand behind those who dedicate themselves to wildlife, wild places, and the hunting profession when tragedy strikes.
While no assistance can lessen the loss these families are experiencing, DSC Foundation hopes this support can help ease some of the financial burdens they face in the days ahead.
DSC and DSC Foundation extend our deepest condolences to Cabot and Connor’s families, friends, the Alaska Professional Hunters Association, and everyone whose lives were touched by these two young men.
Their lives and the impact they made on those around them will not be forgotten.
To learn more about the Global Care Fund and how you can support families in times of need, visit www.dscf.org/global-care-fund/.
