A 15-year-old boy was found alive on top of a capsized fishing skiff off Alaska after a family fishing trip ended in tragedy, with his older brother and cousin both found dead. The teenager was rescued near St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea after enduring days in cold, exposed conditions and showing symptoms of hypothermia.
The case has drawn attention because the boy survived while stranded on an overturned 18-foot vessel in remote waters, where poor weather and limited visibility delayed the search and made the rescue more difficult.
Three relatives left Savoonga for a fishing trip
The teenager had left Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island with his older brother and cousin on Friday, September 4. Local reporting said the group had gone out to fish for halibut.
Their 18-foot skiff was expected to return at about 3 a.m. Sunday, but it never came back. Alaska State Troopers later notified the Coast Guard Arctic District at around 8:30 p.m. Sunday that the vessel was overdue.
Poor weather and visibility prevented crews from immediately reaching the search area, and an HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Kodiak launched Monday morning.
Teen found on overturned boat at 10:30 a.m.
The U.S. Coast Guard later corrected a key detail in its initial account of the rescue.
Officials now say the teenager was spotted sitting on top of the capsized vessel at about 10:30 a.m. Monday, roughly four miles east of St. Lawrence Island. Earlier reports had said he was found clinging to the boat later in the day.
The Coast Guard aircraft dropped a life raft and survival equipment before directing the nearby Northwest Explorer toward the scene. The aircrew also dropped a line of flares to guide the vessel before leaving to refuel, according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s corrected incident update.
Rescue crew found teen suffering from hypothermia
The Northwest Explorer had a 13-person crew and NOAA scientists aboard when it was diverted to help with the rescue.
Captain Adam White said the teenager was seen kneeling on the overturned skiff as the vessel approached. White estimated the surrounding water temperature at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 degrees Celsius.
The boy was brought aboard suffering from symptoms of hypothermia. He was severely cold but still able to communicate with rescuers.
Brother trapped beneath skiff, cousin slipped away
According to White and the teenager’s family, the survivor later described what happened after the boat overturned.
He reportedly said his older brother became trapped beneath the skiff. His cousin initially remained with him but later slipped away from the overturned vessel during the night before rescuers arrived.
The boy’s mother told local media that her older son had been captaining the boat. Family members also said the teenager tried to hold onto his relatives after they died and remained with the overturned vessel without food or water.
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Two bodies recovered from the water
The Coast Guard confirmed that the two other mariners were recovered unresponsive from the water. Their bodies and the surviving teenager were taken aboard the Northwest Explorer and transported to Nome.
The Coast Guard has not publicly named the three boaters in its official releases.
The Alaska case follows other recent maritime emergencies where difficult conditions complicated rescue efforts, including the deadly MV June Aster ferry fire and search operation.
Large search involved Coast Guard and Air National Guard
The response included two Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft and two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Air Station Kodiak, along with Alaska Air National Guard rescue crews from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Alaska State Troopers, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and local authorities in Savoonga also joined the operation, including shore-based searches.
Another recent emergency, the Kaweka Forest Park rescue involving a mother and three children, similarly showed how coordinated air-and-ground response can become critical in remote locations.
Search ends with one survivor
The Coast Guard ended the search after all three boaters were accounted for.
Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District, offered condolences to the families and thanked the Northwest Explorer, federal agencies, state responders and the Savoonga community for their role in the operation.
The rescue left one teenager alive after an extraordinary ordeal, but his family and community are now mourning the deaths of his brother and cousin.
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