A 15-year-old boy has been rescued after surviving atop a capsized fishing vessel in frigid Bering Sea waters off the coast of Alaska. His two crew members died in the incident, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
The Coast Guard pilot who spotted the survivor described the rescue as an "emotional roller coaster." Lt. Cmdr. Jonathon Resch of the Coast Guard told ABC News, "We are beyond excited and beyond grateful that we found him, and at the same time, we are overwhelmingly remorseful that we didn't find the other two in time."
The 18-foot fishing vessel had departed Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island on Friday and was expected back early Sunday. It was reported overdue Sunday night, initiating the search and rescue operation. However, severe weather conditions delayed the Coast Guard's HC-130 Hercules aircrew's search until Monday.
Resch located the teenager on Monday morning, approximately four miles from St. Lawrence Island. He called the discovery "nothing short of miraculous," noting the extreme conditions. "People don't survive those scenarios," Resch said. "People don't flip boats and survive nights. They don't do it in warm water, let alone in water that's, you know, 40 degrees."
The Coast Guard coordinated the rescue with the assistance of a nearby good Samaritan vessel, the Northwest Explorer. The aircrew dropped flares and life rafts to enhance the visibility of the overturned skiff while awaiting the Northwest Explorer's arrival.
Video footage showed the survivor kneeling on the overturned boat as he was pulled aboard the Northwest Explorer using a heaving line. The 15-year-old exhibited symptoms of hypothermia. Both deceased individuals were recovered from the water and transported along with the survivor to Nome.
The Coast Guard has not yet released the names of the deceased or the survivor. Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Arctic District, expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the loss, and gratitude for the combined efforts of the Northwest Explorer, Federal, State, and Village first responders, and other mission partners involved in the rescue that saved one life.