Two boaters were found dead and the third, a teenager, was rescued alive after their fishing boat capsized in the Bering Sea off Alaska, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Crews initiated a search early Monday for three people who were reported missing by Alaska State Troopers at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday evening, after their 18-foot fishing boat was confirmed to be overdue. Weather and poor visibility prevented Coast Guard crews from searching until Monday morning.
The Coast Guard said one of its aircraft located a 15-year-old boater “clinging on to the capsized vessel” and experiencing symptoms of hypothermia. The fishing boat was found overturned about 4 miles off the coast of St. Lawrence Island, the Coast Guard said.Â
An aircrew was able to safely arrange the teen’s rescue by deploying a raft and equipment down to him from above, and coordinating with a good Samaritan boat that took the survivor aboard before leaving the scene to refuel. The bodies of the two deceased boaters were also recovered from the water and taken aboard the same good Samaritan boat, which took their remains and the survivor to the western Alaskan port city of Nome.
“Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and communities affected by the tragic loss of these two mariners,” said Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard’s Arctic District, in a statement. “We are grateful for the incredible efforts of the motor vessel Northwest Explorer, Federal, State, Village first responders and mission partners who assisted in the effort that resulted in a life saved.”Â
Before the incident, the fishing boat had last been seen Friday, leaving St. Lawrence Island from an area called Savoonga along its northern coast. The Coast Guard said it was expected to return to St. Lawrence at around 3 a.m. Sunday morning.
The sparsely inhabited island is technically part of Alaska but located about 100 miles from its mainland. It’s closer to Russia, on the opposite side of the Bering Strait, than it is to North America. The section of the northern Pacific Ocean where it lies is known for its notoriously rough and frigid waters, which can quickly turn treacherous.
Neither the deceased boaters nor the survivor were identified by officials. But the Anchorage Daily News reported that the two found dead were the survivor’s brother and cousin, respectively.
The surviving teen told the captain of the good Samaritan boat, Adam White, that he had clung to the capsized skiff for several days after it overturned, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
“That is one remarkably tough kid, is all I can say,” White said, according to the newspaper.
