Dec. 2 – The U.S. Coast Guard Monday morning suspended the search for survivors of a Sitka-based commercial fishing boat that capsized early Sunday morning with five people on board.
The Coast Guard said the search for the 50-foot Wind Walker lasted nearly 24 hours and covered more than 108 square nautical miles.
The boat’s crew issued a distress call at 12:07 a.m. Sunday “reporting that they were rolling over,” the Coast Guard said. Watchstanders in Juneau received no further response, they said, but the boat’s distress beacon signal was located near Point Couverden in Icy Strait, southwest of Juneau.
On Sunday, the Coast Guard said searchers had found seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights, but no sign of people aboard the ship.
Coast Guard officials said in a statement Monday afternoon that the search had been suspended pending new information.
“We are saddened and in solidarity with the friends and family of those we have been unable to locate over the past 24 hours,” Chief Warrant Officer James Koon, search and rescue mission coordinator for the Southeast Alaska Coast Guard Sector, said in the news release . statement. “I am very grateful for the speed of our crews and other search assets who came together to strengthen our efforts and fully saturate our search areas. Our collective hearts are with the friends and families of those experiencing the impact of this loss.”
State officials say an Alaska Marine Highway System ferry carrying more than 100 passengers has been diverted to the boat’s last known location. The Hubbard ferry, with about 20 crew members and 110 passengers on board, was en route from Tenakee Springs, Angoon and Kake back to Juneau when the call came, said Sam Dapcevich, a spokesman for the state transportation department.
“They heard a brief distress call from the Wind Walker that the boat was capsizing and they were trying to get into a life raft,” he said. “No further transmissions were heard.”
Tamara Jack, a passenger on the ferry, said the captain announced the ship was diverting to the mayday call just after leaving Tenakee Springs. The passengers all came together, Jack said in a message. “Even though we didn’t know everyone, we formed a circle, held hands and prayed.”
Many passengers stood at frosted windows keeping an eye on things, she said.
Jack, who was from Kake, said the ferry crew took turns standing guard outside because of the rough weather as the boat’s horn blared.
The ferry captain described winds of 50 knots from the north, blowing snow, icy spray and waves 6 to 8 feet high, Dapcevich said. “The captain told me there was almost no visibility.”
He said the Hubbard was able to see the Wind Walker’s location on a ship tracking system, but lost that signal at 12:18 p.m. — just over 10 minutes after the first distress call. They informed the Coast Guard of the position.
The ferry reached the area and began a Coast Guard-led search around 1 a.m., Dapcevich said.
The Hubbard remained in position until it was released at 10 a.m., he said, adding that the ferry captain praised the crew’s professionalism under difficult conditions.
“It’s just tragic, a terrible situation,” Dapcevich said. “It’s a good thing we were there, but unfortunately we couldn’t find any survivors.”
