Coast Guard suspends search for 5 people missing after fishing boat capsizes

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) – The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for five people missing after the fishing boat Wind Walker capsized in the Gulf of Alaska.

US Coast Guard District 17 issued a statement On Monday morning, he announced the suspension of the search, which lasted nearly 24 hours and covered 108 square nautical miles.

The distress call came in at 12:10 a.m. Sunday indicating that a 50-foot fishing boat was overturning, KTUU Reports. An emergency locator beacon (EPIRB) registered to the Wind Walker was activated, locating the distress signal just south of Point Couverden, the southern tip of a small island in southeast Alaska.

Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska broadcast an urgent maritime information broadcast, deploying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Sitka Air Force Base and a 45-foot response boat from Juneau Station to search the area. The ferry AMHS Hubbard also responded, arriving before other search assets.

Petty Officer John Hightower spoke with KTUU on Sunday about the ongoing efforts, saying the Coast Guard Cutter Healy was their primary search platform at the time.

“They have the greatest resilience to bad weather in this region. We sent teams out on bikes from the Coast Guard station in Juneau,” Hightower said over the phone. “With their small boats, the weather can be very harsh for the boats. »

This graphic shows the combined search area covered by the Coast Guard and other partners... — This chart shows the combined search area covered by the Coast Guard and other partner agencies for five people after their vessel reportedly capsized near Couverden Point, Alaska, on Dec. 1, 2024. The total search area covered was more of 108 square nautical miles in the meantime. almost 24 hours. (US Coast Guard graphic)(U.S. Coast Guard District 17)

Search teams recovered seven cold water immersion suits and two strobe lights from the water, but found no sign of the missing people.

Despite what Hightower called “online rumors,” no passengers have been found so far.

The US Coast Guard posted on addressing the same false claims on Sunday, saying: “We are aware of reports on social media claiming that individuals involved in this incident have been located. At this time, the CG has not confirmed these claims and is continuing its research efforts.

Hightower said the EPIRB distress signal provides their most recent location and crews base their search efforts on the information provided. However, the passengers were still missing after crews located the physical beacon.

Heavy snowfall, winds of 45 to 60 miles per hour and six-foot seas created difficult conditions for search efforts.

Hightower said search efforts are expected to continue through the night, but ultimately Search and Rescue Command will make the decision to suspend the search.

“We are exhausting every available resource we have to try to find the crew members and anyone else who was on board and try to get them home safely,” Hightower said.

After the search was suspended, Chief Warrant Officer James Koon, search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska, issued a statement saying he is sad and in solidarity with the friends and family of the people they couldn’t find.

“I am deeply grateful for the speed of our teams and other search assets that came together to amplify our efforts and completely saturate our search areas. Our collective thoughts are with the friends and families of those who are feeling the effects of this loss,” Koon said.

Anyone with information about the missing persons or the incident is asked to contact Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska at (907) 463-2980.