HUMAN INTEREST / VIRAL
Man Rescued After Boat Sinks Near Alaska’s Murder Cove, Thanks In Part To His Immersion Suit
A man was rescued Monday after his boat sank near Alaska’s Murder Cove, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska received a report at around 10:28 a.m. Monday that a boater had not been heard from since 6 a.m. Sunday. The man was aboard the 40-foot wooden fishing vessel Tyee, and was reported to be near Murder Cove.
According to the report, the man had departed Sitka on Friday and intended to arrive in Ketchikan on Monday evening or Tuesday.
After the Coast Guard’s attempts to reach the man by VHF radio and cell phone were unsuccessful, watchstanders launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka as well as the Coast Guard Cutter Pike.
At around 3 p.m. Monday, watchstanders received a report that a good Samaritan fishing vessel had located an ice chest and life raft in Murder Cove.
At around 5 p.m., the helicopter aircrew located the man on the shore of Admirality Island, two miles east of Murder Cove. The man was hoisted aboard the helicopter in stable condition and transported to Sitka, where EMS personnel were waiting to treat him.
The man reported that when his vessel began taking on water at around 5 p.m. Sunday, he put on a survival suit and boarded his life raft. Then, when the life raft also began taking on water, he swam to shore.
The Coast Guard said the man’s survival suit made a real difference in the outcome.
“In the unforgiving waters of Southeast Alaska, preparation makes the difference between tragedy and survival,” said Cmdr. Rianne Troutman, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska. “The survivor donning an immersion suit drastically extended his survival time and gave our search crews the fighting chance needed to bring him home safely. We cannot overstate the importance of carrying proper cold-water survival gear, filing a float plan, and ensuring your safety equipment is accessible before an emergency occurs.”
