A 15-year-old boy survived for 62 hours adrift at sea after his fishing skiff capsized, clinging to the bodies of his drowned brother and cousin, according to family members. The harrowing ordeal occurred in the Bering Sea near St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, beginning on September 4.
The teen, identified as Derek Parker Aghnaanga, was fishing for halibut with his older brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, 35, and cousin, Barton Rookok, 34, when their boat overturned. A family spokesman suggested that fishing lines may have become entangled in the motor, leading to the capsizing.
Aghnaanga reportedly tried to hold onto his brother and cousin after they died. His mother, Vina Kulowiyi, stated on Facebook that her son survived by praying throughout the nearly three days without food or water.
The Coast Guard was alerted on Sunday night, September 7, by Alaska State Troopers after the group failed to return home. A Coast Guard vessel spotted Aghnaanga sitting on the capsized boat around 10:30 a.m. on September 7. The nearby fishing vessel Northwest Explorer was enlisted to assist in the rescue.
Upon rescue, Aghnaanga exhibited symptoms of hypothermia. Crew members from the Northwest Explorer provided him with blankets and kept him engaged in conversation as they transported him to Nome, where he could be reunited with his family. The bodies of Sidney Kulowiyi, who drowned after becoming trapped under the skiff, and Barton Rookok, who died after entering the water a day later, were eventually recovered by the rescue boat.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support Aghnaanga's family and assist with funeral expenses, nearing its $45,000 goal. In a poignant tribute, Kulowiyi announced the birth of her grandson on September 7, who was named Dale Sidney Scott Salleka Kulowiyi Jr. in honor of his uncle.