Search Underway for Crew of Capsized Fishing Vessel Wind Walker off Couverden Island, Alaska
A search is currently underway for the crew of a commercial fishing vessel that capsized in icy waters and severe weather near Couverden Island, Alaska.
Early Sunday morning, the Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska received a mayday call from the fishing vessel Wind Walker, reporting that they were capsizing off Couverden Point, approximately 60 nautical miles south of Haines. After the call, the crew lost contact, and no further communication was received. Shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard received an alert from the Wind Walker’s Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) in Icy Strait.
Source: USCG
While the exact number of crew members aboard is unclear, it is believed that there were five fishermen on the Wind Walker at the time of the incident, according to acquaintances of the vessel. This count has not been officially confirmed.
In response, Sector Southeast Alaska issued an urgent broadcast and dispatched a helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, along with a response boat from Station Juneau, to search the area.
The Alaska Marine Highway ferry Hubbard, having overheard the broadcast, diverted to assist and was the first to arrive on the scene. Despite heavy snow and winds reaching up to 50 knots, the ferry and Coast Guard responders began their search. They found seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights in the water, but no crew members were located.
The Hubbard left the search area by mid-morning to continue its commercial route, as indicated by AIS data from Pole Star. The Coast Guard Cutter Healy arrived in the search area around the same time to take over the search efforts from the Hubbard.
