The United States Coast Guard (USCG) reported on Tuesday that a 15-year-old boater was the sole survivor rescued after a fishing vessel capsized off the coast of Alaska. The incident left three people missing earlier in the week.
Rescue crews discovered the teenager ‘clinging to the capsized vessel’ on Monday. He was located east of St. Lawrence Island, experiencing a medical emergency related to hypothermia. The Coast Guard stated that the ‘survivor was rescued from the overturned skiff with symptoms of hypothermia.’
Authorities revealed that the two other mariners aboard the 18-foot fishing vessel were found deceased. The discovery came after the boat overturned roughly 4 miles from the island.
The Coast Guard initiated a search operation early Monday. This followed a notification from Alaska State Troopers that the boat was overdue Sunday evening. The vessel was expected to return by 3 a.m. on Sunday.
Rescue teams were initially unable to launch a mission due to adverse weather and poor visibility. These conditions hindered efforts until the following morning.
Upon launching an aircrew, Coast Guard personnel spotted the teen survivor. They deployed a raft equipped with survival gear. Additionally, a good Samaritan vessel contributed by rescuing the teenager and retrieving the bodies of the deceased mariners.
Subsequent to the rescue, the Coast Guard transported the survivor and the recovered bodies to Nome, Alaska for further procedures.
Bonny Chu is a journalist focusing on Breaking and Trending News for Fox News Digital.
Leave a Reply