15-Year-Old Rescued From Overturned Boat After Days at Sea; Brother and Cousin Found Dead
SAVOONGA, Alaska — A 15-year-old boy has been rescued after surviving for days on an overturned fishing boat in the frigid Bering Sea, while his older brother and cousin died following the capsizing near Alaska’s St. Lawrence Island.
The teen had left Savoonga on Friday, September 4, aboard an 18-foot skiff with his brother and cousin for a halibut fishing trip. The group was expected back early Sunday but never returned. Alaska State Troopers notified the U.S. Coast Guard that the boat was overdue Sunday evening. Poor weather initially prevented aircraft from beginning the search.
On Monday morning, a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules crew spotted the teenager sitting on top of the capsized vessel approximately four miles east of St. Lawrence Island. The aircrew dropped a life raft and survival equipment before directing the nearby Northwest Explorer to the location using a line of flares.
Captain Adam White and the Northwest Explorer crew eventually reached the teenager and brought him aboard. He was suffering from symptoms of hypothermia after spending days exposed to the elements. White said the water was approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to White, the teenager told rescuers through chattering teeth that his brother remained underneath the overturned skiff and that his cousin had survived alongside him before slipping away from the vessel the night before the rescue. Family members said the teen had tried to hold onto his relatives and survived for days without food or water.
The Coast Guard confirmed that the two other boaters were recovered unresponsive. The survivor and the two deceased boaters were transported aboard the Northwest Explorer to Nome.
White later described the emotional experience of meeting the teenager’s family after returning to shore, saying the moment carried both gratitude over the rescue and sorrow over the two lives lost.
Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District, offered condolences to the family and community while thanking the Northwest Explorer, federal and state agencies, village first responders and other partners involved in the operation.
Image/Video Credit: Alaska’s News Source
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