A 15-year-old boy has been rescued after surviving for three days adrift in the freezing Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, clinging to the capsized hull of his family's boat. The dramatic rescue, however, turned to tragedy as rescuers discovered the bodies of his older brother and cousin, who were also on the vessel.

Derek Parker Aghnaanga, 15, was spotted by the crew of the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer near remote St. Lawrence Island. He had been adrift without food or water, with the overturned skiff drifting towards the Russian border. Video footage captured by the Northwest Explorer shows Aghnaanga kneeling on the hull, wearing a bright yellow jacket, as the ship approached.

Crew members of the Northwest Explorer, including scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, alerted the U.S. Coast Guard after spotting the unusual object on the horizon. The Coast Guard then directed the fishing vessel toward Aghnaanga. The crew successfully threw him a line and pulled the skiff alongside their ship, eventually bringing the exhausted teenager aboard via a rescue basket.

Upon reaching safety, Aghnaanga, suffering from symptoms of hypothermia, informed his rescuers that his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, was trapped beneath the overturned boat. He also revealed that his 34-year-old cousin, Barton Rookok, had been clinging to the boat with him before slipping away. The bodies of both men were later recovered.

Aghnaanga had been fishing for halibut with Kulowiyi, who was the boat's captain, and Rookok when their small boat capsized last Saturday night. Aghnaanga's mother told reporters that Kulowiyi became trapped under the vessel and died, while Rookok survived for about a day alongside the teenager before also succumbing to the elements.

Derek's older brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, 35, right, also drowned while out at sea but his body was recovered. He is pictured alongside his sister, Juanita Kulowiyi, left, in 2021

The ordeal began Friday when the three left Savoonga, a village on St. Lawrence Island. They were expected to return by Sunday morning. When they failed to arrive, Alaska State Troopers alerted the U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday evening, initiating a search that involved planes and helicopters. A Coast Guard aircrew spotted Aghnaanga on Monday morning, leading to the rescue operation.

Adam White, captain of the Northwest Explorer, described the rescue as