15-Year-Old Survives 3 Days on Overturned Skiff as 2 Relatives Die in Bering Sea

Q: What caused the 18-foot fishing boat to overturn, leaving one boy fighting for his life after losing his relatives?

The cause of the 18-foot skiff overturning has not been determined publicly. U.S. Coast Guard officials said they could not speculate on what caused the boat to capsize or exactly when it happened, and reporting indicates no definitive public finding had been released at the time. What is known is that the three relatives had left Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island on Friday for a halibut fishing trip and were expected back early Sunday. The skiff was later found overturned about 4 miles east of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, an area widely described in reporting as rough, frigid and capable of turning treacherous quickly. Search efforts were also delayed by bad weather and poor visibility, which underscores the difficult conditions in the area, but those conditions have not been officially identified as the direct cause of the capsize. Family members said the survivor’s older brother, who was the boat’s captain, became trapped under the overturned boat, and a cousin survived for a time before slipping away into the water. The 15-year-old survivor remained on the upturned hull for days with hypothermia until he was rescued. In short, the capsize remains unexplained publicly, though it occurred in severe Bering Sea conditions during a small-boat fishing trip.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 11

A fishing vessel pulled a 15-year-old boy to safety Monday after he spent days clinging to an overturned skiff in the remote Bering Sea off Alaska.
The ordeal began Friday when Derek Parker Aghnaanga left to catch halibut with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and a cousin; the skiff later capsized, killing the two older relatives.
The trio had been due back in Savoonga around 3 a.m. Sunday, prompting villagers to alert Alaska State Troopers and launch a search after the boat failed to return.
Dense fog and darkness kept the Coast Guard off the water Sunday, but crews resumed Monday, using an HC-130 aircraft and the skiff's last known location provided by family members.