Search Underway for Missing Crew of Capsized Fishing Vessel in Alaska

A search is currently underway for the crew of a commercial fishing vessel that capsized off the coast of Couverden Island, Alaska. The incident occurred in frigid waters and severe weather conditions. The crew of the fishing vessel Wind Walker sent out a mayday call to the Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska at approximately 0010 hours on Sunday morning. They reported that they were capsizing near Couverden Point, about 60 nautical miles south of Haines. The crew then lost contact, and subsequent attempts to reach them via VHF were unsuccessful. An alert from the Wind Walker’s Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) was received by the Coast Guard, pinpointing the vessel’s location in Icy Strait.

Although the exact number of crew members aboard the Wind Walker was not confirmed, it was believed that there should have been five fishermen on board at the time of the incident. In response to the distress call, the Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska issued an urgent broadcast and deployed a helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, as well as a response boat from Station Juneau to conduct a search in the area. The Alaska Marine Highway ferry Hubbard also diverted from its route to assist in the search efforts and was the first vessel to arrive on the scene. Despite the challenging weather conditions with heavy snow and winds up to 50 knots, the ferry and Coast Guard responders began scouring the area for any signs of the missing crew members.

During the search, seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights were found in the water, but no crew members were located. The Hubbard eventually departed from the search area to resume its commercial voyage, while the Coast Guard Cutter Healy took over the search operation. The search efforts are ongoing as authorities continue to scour the area for any signs of the missing crew members.

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