Troopers identify two Savoonga men dead after capsizing near St. Lawrence Island

Two men from Savoonga died after their boat capsized off St. Lawrence Island, and a 15-year-old survived by holding onto the overturned hull until a search crew found him, Alaska State Troopers said.

The men were Sidney Kulowiyi, 35, and Barton Rookok, 34, both of Savoonga. Their families have been notified.

Troopers were alerted Sept. 6 that three boaters from the village were overdue. A Coast Guard crew searching from the air spotted the teenager the next morning, sitting atop the capsized boat about four miles east of St. Lawrence Island, and pulled him out with hypothermia. A passing civilian ship helped in the rescue. The two men were recovered from the water and taken to Nome with the survivor.

Troopers have not said what caused the boat to overturn or what the water conditions were, and no cause of death has been released.