A 15-year-old boy was rescued Monday after clinging to an overturned boat for approximately two days in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska. The teen, Derek Parker Aghnaanga, was found near St. Lawrence Island, while the bodies of his brother and cousin, who were also on the fishing trip, were recovered.
Aghnaanga had gone fishing with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and a cousin on Friday. Their boat capsized Saturday night. Aghnaanga clung to the hull of the overturned vessel until he was spotted and rescued on Monday by the crew of a fishing boat, The Northwest Explorer.
Adam White, captain of The Northwest Explorer, told KTUU-TV that Aghnaanga was conscious but experiencing symptoms of hypothermia when they pulled him aboard. "That's one tough kid," White said. Aghnaanga told rescuers that his cousin had also held onto the boat but did not survive until the rescue.
The U.S. Coast Guard began searching for the missing skiff on Monday morning after family members reported the group overdue. The group had departed from the village of Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island on Friday and had intended to return on Sunday. Water temperatures in the area were around 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).
Collen Walker, an aunt of the two brothers, described Kulowiyi as a provider for the village and a father figure to Aghnaanga, whose own father died when they were young. Halibut fishing is a significant part of the culture and sustenance for the roughly 800 residents of Savoonga, Walker said, emphasizing a traditional way of life where community members support one another.
Aghnaanga's mother was listening to a radio transmission of the rescue and described the relief and joy of hearing her son was alive, followed by the immediate concern for the others. The fishing boat crew provided Aghnaanga with blankets and hot packs to aid his recovery.