An Alaskan teenager named Derek Parker Aghnaanga survived nearly two days on an overturned fishing skiff. He informed rescuers that his cousin disappeared during the night and his older brother remained trapped under the vessel. The three were thrown into the icy waters of the Bering Sea.
Aghnaanga, 15, was found on the capsized skiff about four miles east of St. Lawrence Island. He, his 35-year-old brother Sidney Kulowiyi, and their cousin vanished during a fishing expedition. “Through chattering teeth, he mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff,” Adam White, captain of the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer, revealed to KTUU-TV. The GoFundMe page set up by the family mentioned that Aghnaanga attempted to hold onto his brother and cousin after they died before their bodies were retrieved.
An image captured from a video by Carlos Alexis Escartin shows a teenager being rescued by a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea near St. Lawrence Island, Alaska (via AP).
A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Air Station Kodiak located Aghnaanga. They dropped a survival raft and supplies before deploying flares to guide the Northwest Explorer to his location. Crew members pulled Aghnaanga to safety and recovered the bodies of Kulowiyi and the cousin.
Aghnaanga showed signs of hypothermia when rescued. Crew members wrapped him in blankets and used hot packs to warm him as the vessel headed to Nome. The 15-year-old was seated on the capsized vessel during a rescue operation off St. Lawrence Island, Alaska.
The trio had left Savoonga, a remote Alaska Native village, for a fishing trip on Friday, planning to return early Sunday. They were reported missing by family members on Sunday night, initiating a search involving the Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers, and other agencies.
Colleen Walker, an aunt, described Kulowiyi as a humble commercial fishing captain who provided for Savoonga, where halibut fishing is vital.
Walker expressed relief, recalling, “We all cried and jumped for joy when the captain announced on the radio, ‘We found a kid, he’s alive, he’s alive.'”
The Coast Guard rescued a 15-year-old boy from the frigid Bering Sea after nearly three days. Kulowiyi left behind children, as stated by the family fundraiser, which had amassed over $42,000 towards a $45,000 goal.
“Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and communities affected by the tragic loss of these two mariners,” said Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District. The Coast Guard Arctic District led the search alongside the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, the Alaska Air National Guard’s 176th Wing, Alaska State Troopers, and local authorities in Savoonga.