A 15-year-old boy was rescued from the top of an overturned fishing boat in the frigid waters off the Alaska coast, while his older brother and cousin died after their vessel capsized in the Bering Sea. The dramatic rescue unfolded, about four miles east of St. Lawrence Island, following a days-long search led by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The fishing crew had departed Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, on Friday (September 4), but failed to return as expected, prompting a search when they were reported overdue on Sunday night. Poor weather and low visibility delayed the search until Monday morning, according to the Coast Guard. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jonathon Resch described the moment he spotted the boy—identified by family as Parker—kneeling atop the capsized skiff as “nothing short of miraculous,” noting, “People don’t survive those scenarios. People don’t flip boats and survive nights. They don’t do it in warm water, let alone in water that’s, you know, 40 degrees," he told ABC News.

Family members said the boat capsized after a fishing line became tangled in the motor and worsening weather flipped the vessel. According to Darren Toolie-Noongwook, “Once the motor got caught in the fishing line, they tried to untangle it, but they couldn’t because of how bad it was tangled. So they were just sitting, and then later on at the end of the night, the weather got bad and the boat flipped.” He recalled to NBC News that Parker and his cousin managed to climb onto the overturned hull, but his brother Sidney died after getting caught in the lines while trying to get a life jacket. The cousin later panicked, jumped into the water, and drowned.

Parker survived two nights alone on the upturned boat, praying and hoping for rescue. The Coast Guard coordinated with the nearby good Samaritan vessel, Northwest Explorer, to reach him. The Coast Guard aircrew dropped flares to mark the location and a life raft, while the Northwest Explorer’s captain, Adam White, and his crew pulled Parker aboard using a heaving line.

Both deceased crew members were recovered from the water and transported, along with Parker, to Nome for further care. The Coast Guard and family have not released the full names of the victims publicly. Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District, said, “We are grateful for the incredible efforts of the motor vessel Northwest Explorer, Federal, State, Village first responders and mission partners who assisted in the effort that resulted in a life saved.”

Bill Cunningham

Bill Cunningham