Key facts
- A 15-year-old boy was rescued alive after clinging to a capsized fishing boat in the Bering Sea off Alaska.
- Two other individuals on the boat were found dead.
- The deceased boaters were reportedly the survivor's brother and cousin.
- The capsized vessel was located about 4 miles off the coast of St. Lawrence Island.
- The survivor was experiencing symptoms of hypothermia.
- The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search after the boat was reported overdue on Sunday evening.
A 15-year-old boy was rescued alive after clinging to a capsized fishing boat for several days in the frigid waters of Alaska's Bering Sea, while two other individuals on board were found dead. The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search on Monday morning after the 18-foot fishing vessel failed to return from a trip that began Friday, September 4. The boat was due back Sunday afternoon.
An aircrew located the teenager sitting atop the overturned boat approximately 4 miles off the coast of St. Lawrence Island. A nearby good Samaritan vessel, the motor vessel Northwest Explorer, pulled him to safety and also recovered the bodies of his older brother and cousin. The boy, identified by family as Derek Parker Aghnaanga, showed signs of hypothermia upon rescue. The captain of the Northwest Explorer told KTUU-TV that Aghnaanga had mentioned his brother was still under the skiff when they arrived, and that his cousin had slipped away the previous night. Aghnaanga's mother stated on Facebook that her sons were fishing to provide for their community, a tradition passed down through generations in Savoonga, a village on St. Lawrence Island.
St. Lawrence Island is located closer to Russia than to mainland Alaska and is inhabited primarily by Siberian Yupik peoples. The waters of the Bering Sea are known for being rough and frigid.