June 8 – A 73-year-old California woman died Wednesday after a 57-foot fishing boat collided with a 20-foot skiff in the Wrangell Narrows, throwing her and another person into the water, the U.S. Coast Guard says .
A spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers identified the woman Friday as Susan Paul.
Authorities said a 911 call was received before 9 a.m. Wednesday reporting a person in the water.
A good Samaritan rescued the other person in the skiff, but Paul was not immediately found, the Coast Guard said. A search and rescue diver from Petersburg found her body after hours of searching the sunken boat, they said.
The other person rescued from the collision was taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries and hypothermia, Petersburg public radio KFSK reported. The Coast Guard is investigating.
It was not immediately clear what caused the collision.
The Narrows is a 22-mile strait between Wrangell and Petersburg. Authorities said search efforts include Coast Guard Air Station Sitka and Cutter Elderberry; search and rescue teams from Wrangell and Petersburg; troopers; and numerous Good Samaritans.
