A 15-year-old boy, Derek Parker Aghnaanga, has been rescued after surviving 62 hours adrift in the Bering Sea following the capsizing of his fishing skiff near St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. He was the sole survivor of the incident, which occurred on September 4.
The U.S. Coast Guard spotted the teen clinging to the overturned vessel around 10:30 a.m. Monday. Alaska State Troopers had alerted the Coast Guard on Sunday night after the group failed to return home, and the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer was diverted to assist.
Adam White, captain of the Northwest Explorer, reported that the boy, suffering from hypothermia, was found "chattering through the teeth." He relayed that his brother was trapped beneath the skiff, and their cousin had slipped off the vessel the previous night. Aghnaanga had been fishing for halibut with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and 34-year-old cousin, Barton Rookok, when their small boat overturned.
"We saw the unusual object on the horizon. We blasted our horn a couple times," White stated, describing the moment they spotted the skiff. Rescue footage shows the crew approaching the vessel and realizing a person was alive on top of it.
Aghnaanga was brought aboard the Northwest Explorer, where the crew wrapped him in blankets and worked to keep him conscious as they headed toward Nome. A GoFundMe campaign has been initiated to support Aghnaanga's family and cover funeral expenses, with a goal of $40,000.
