Teen rescued after clinging to capsized boat in Bering Sea for days
The US Coast Guard rescued a teenage boy who spent days clinging to an overturned fishing vessel in the Bering Sea, after his older brother and cousin drowned. The boy showed signs of hypothermia but survived.
A teenage boy has been rescued after spending several days clinging to a capsized 18ft fishing boat in the Bering Sea, following an accident that killed his older brother and cousin.
The group was last seen leaving St Lawrence Island, Alaska, on Friday and was expected to return early Sunday, but never did. The coast guard began searching Sunday evening, and an aircrew spotted the sole survivor atop the overturned vessel on Monday afternoon.
Rescuers dropped a raft and survival gear to the teen and coordinated with a nearby vessel, the Northwest Explorer, to bring him to safety. He showed symptoms of hypothermia after his prolonged exposure to the icy water.
Rear Adm Bob Little, commander of the coast guard's Arctic district, offered condolences to the families and communities affected by the deaths of the two mariners, and thanked the crew of the Northwest Explorer along with federal, state and village first responders for their part in the rescue.
Footage of the operation showed the teen kneeling on the swaying, overturned hull before rescuers pulled him toward their vessel and helped him aboard.
How the accident unfolded
The survivor's brother, Darren Toolie-Noongwook, told NBC News that their family works in commercial fishing and regularly spends extended periods at sea. He said the boat's motor had become tangled in a fishing line that the group could not free. The vessel later capsized in bad weather, and only the teen, identified as Parker, and his cousin managed to climb onto the hull.
According to Toolie-Noongwook, the cousin eventually panicked and jumped into the water, drowning after swimming only a short distance. Parker was left alone and spent the following days praying, believing he would be found and survive — which ultimately happened. The bodies of the two victims have since been recovered.
