Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 10

Alaska Capsize Leaves 2 Dead, Rescues 15-Year-Old 4 Miles Off St. Lawrence Island

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 10

Alaska Capsize Leaves 2 Dead, Rescues 15-Year-Old 4 Miles Off St. Lawrence Island

Q: What caused the 18-foot fishing boat to overturn, leaving one boy fighting for his life after losing his relatives?

The cause of the 18-foot skiff overturning has not been determined publicly. U.S. Coast Guard officials said they could not speculate on what caused the boat to capsize or exactly when it happened, and reporting indicates no definitive public finding had been released at the time. What is known is that the three relatives had left Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island on Friday for a halibut fishing trip and were expected back early Sunday. The skiff was later found overturned about 4 miles east of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, an area widely described in reporting as rough, frigid and capable of turning treacherous quickly. Search efforts were also delayed by bad weather and poor visibility, which underscores the difficult conditions in the area, but those conditions have not been officially identified as the direct cause of the capsize. Family members said the survivor’s older brother, who was the boat’s captain, became trapped under the overturned boat, and a cousin survived for a time before slipping away into the water. The 15-year-old survivor remained on the upturned hull for days with hypothermia until he was rescued. In short, the capsize remains unexplained publicly, though it occurred in severe Bering Sea conditions during a small-boat fishing trip.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 10

A 15-year-old was found alive Monday clinging to an overturned 18-foot skiff about 4 miles east of St. Lawrence Island, while two other mariners were later recovered dead.
The Coast Guard said the boat had been overdue since Sunday, but weather and poor visibility prevented crews from launching a search until Monday morning.
An aircrew spotted the teen in a medical emergency and dropped a raft with survival gear before a good Samaritan vessel pulled him from the water with hypothermia symptoms.
The same assisting vessel recovered the two bodies, and all three were transported to Nome as authorities continued reporting on the fatal capsize.