Coast Guard finds 15-year-old alive on capsized skiff off St. Lawrence Island; two dead

A 15-year-old survived the capsizing of an 18-foot skiff about 4 miles east of St. Lawrence Island on Monday, found clinging to the overturned hull and showing symptoms of hypothermia. Two other boaters from the same vessel were recovered dead.

All three, the survivor and the two dead, were taken aboard the good Samaritan vessel Northwest Explorer and brought to Nome.

The Coast Guard Arctic District said an HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Air Station Kodiak spotted the survivor on the capsized boat at about 3 p.m. Monday. The crew dropped a raft and survival equipment, then laid a line of flares to guide the Northwest Explorer to the overturned vessel.

"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 Arctic District. He credited the Northwest Explorer and federal, state and village first responders with an effort that saved a life.

The search drew two HC-130s, two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Air Station Kodiak, and a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130 carrying 212th Rescue Squadron Guardian Angels from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The Arctic District coordinated with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Wing, Alaska State Troopers and local authorities in Savoonga.

Details of the search, rescue and recovery come from Coast Guard releases. Weather and context below come from National Weather Service records and prior Alaska News coverage. No statement from the families or from Savoonga appears in the material.

Open-boat travel is routine on St. Lawrence Island. Savoonga and Gambell residents run skiffs for subsistence hunting and fishing in the same waters where the search was flown, and they rely on the Coast Guard and partner agencies when conditions turn. A prior Alaska News article on Bering Sea conditions noted operators pausing on their own judgment when gusts hit 45 knots, with no agency closure in place.

Weather records show conditions at the time of the search included southwest winds around 20 knots, seas near 7 feet, and patchy fog and rain. A National Weather Service gale warning in effect through Thursday for two Bering Sea offshore zones, with seas forecast to reach 13 to 21 feet, is a later system and did not cause Monday's capsizing.