Gig Harbor-based boat sinks off Alaska; 1 dead, 1 missing
KODIAK, Alaska - A fishing boat based out of Pierce County has sunk off the coast of Alaska, leaving one person dead and another missing.
The U.S. Coast Guard says the 58-foot fishing vessel Advantage, based in Gig Harbor, went down shortly after midnight on Friday.
Three people were rescued from a life raft found floating in the frigid waters. One of them, the captain of the boat, later died at the hospital.
Authorities say by the time rescue crews arrived, all that remained of the vessel was debris.
The fourth crew member on the boat is still missing, but teams suspended their search after 18 hours of combing 1,400 square miles of ocean off Kodiak, Alaska.
“Suspending a search for a missing person is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make,” said Capt. Gregory Sanial, chief of response for the Coast Guard 17th District. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
The crew member’s name is not being released, pending next-of-kin notifications.
The owner say the waters were calm at the time, so no one is sure how or why the boat sank.
The U.S. Coast Guard says the 58-foot fishing vessel Advantage, based in Gig Harbor, went down shortly after midnight on Friday.
Three people were rescued from a life raft found floating in the frigid waters. One of them, the captain of the boat, later died at the hospital.
Authorities say by the time rescue crews arrived, all that remained of the vessel was debris.
The fourth crew member on the boat is still missing, but teams suspended their search after 18 hours of combing 1,400 square miles of ocean off Kodiak, Alaska.
“Suspending a search for a missing person is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make,” said Capt. Gregory Sanial, chief of response for the Coast Guard 17th District. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
The crew member’s name is not being released, pending next-of-kin notifications.
The owner say the waters were calm at the time, so no one is sure how or why the boat sank.
Best thoughts to the families. Like I said earlier, that particular area has a lot of shallow reefs, and negotiating those at night is a challenge. With all that being said, there is a lot of different reason the boat went down. Again my best wishes to the family!