A 15-year-old boy was rescued by a fishing vessel after spending days adrift on a capsized skiff in the frigid waters of Alaska’s Bering Sea, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard. Tragically, the boy’s brother and cousin did not survive the ordeal. The bodies of the deceased were discovered following the teen’s rescue near St. Lawrence Island, a remote Alaskan island closer to Russia than the United States mainland.
The captain of The Northwest Explorer fishing boat praised the boy’s resilience, stating that he clung to the skiff for nearly three days. The Coast Guard initiated a search operation after the family reported the trio missing, with Coast Guard aircraft spotting the boy on Monday morning. The crew deployed a raft and supplies before contacting The Northwest Explorer for assistance.
Video footage of the rescue shows the boy in a bright yellow jacket perched atop the overturned skiff, with the fishing boat’s crew successfully pulling him to safety. Upon boarding the vessel, the boy displayed symptoms of hypothermia, prompting the crew to provide warmth through blankets and hot packs.
Captain Adam White recounted that the boy indicated his brother was still under the skiff and mentioned that his cousin had passed away the previous night before their rescue. The group had departed from St. Lawrence Island on Friday with plans to return early Sunday, as confirmed by the Coast Guard.