A 15-year-old boy, Derek Parker Aghnaanga, survived for three days adrift in the frigid Bering Sea, clinging to the overturned hull of his family's skiff before being rescued. The dramatic rescue occurred near remote St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, with the vessel drifting toward the Russian border.

Rescuers from the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer spotted Aghnaanga, wearing a bright yellow jacket, kneeling on the upturned boat. After throwing him a line and pulling the skiff alongside, the crew brought the exhausted teenager aboard. He was suffering from symptoms of hypothermia.

Tragically, Aghnaanga informed his rescuers that his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, was trapped beneath the skiff, and their 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.

The ordeal began last Saturday night when the three left Savoonga, a village on St. Lawrence Island, for a halibut fishing trip. They were expected back by Sunday morning. When they failed to return, the Alaska State Troopers alerted the U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday evening, initiating a search.

Aghnaanga, pictured on an earlier boat trip, was suffering symptoms of hypothermia when rescuers finally brought him aboard

A Coast Guard aircrew located Aghnaanga on Monday morning and directed the nearby Northwest Explorer to his location. Captain Adam White of the Northwest Explorer described seeing an unusual object on the horizon, which turned out to be the teenager.

Aghnaanga's mother confirmed that his brother, the boat's captain, became trapped under the vessel. His cousin reportedly survived for about a day before succumbing to the elements. The 15-year-old was left alone on the hull for the remainder of his time at sea.

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

Family members expressed relief upon hearing of Aghnaanga's survival but were overcome with grief when they learned of the deaths of Kulowiyi and Rookok. The loss has deeply affected the close-knit Savoonga community, where fishing is a vital part of life and culture.

Kulowiyi was remembered as a provider for the village, and Aghnaanga looked up to him as a father figure after their own father died when they were young. Funds are being raised through a GoFundMe campaign to support Aghnaanga and assist his grieving family with funeral expenses and other costs.

Aghnaanga told his rescuers that his brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, 35, was still beneath the overturned skiff and that his cousin, Barton Rookok, 34, pictured, had managed to cling to the boat alongside him before slipping away

The Alaska State Troopers formally identified Kulowiyi and Rookok on Thursday. For the crew of the Northwest Explorer, the rescue was a profound experience, marked by both the joy of saving a life and the sorrow of bearing witness to a family's tragedy.