Alaska teen survives 62 hours after fishing boat capsizes, brother and cousin die
A 15-year-old boy was rescued after spending 62 hours adrift in the Bering Sea, while his older brother and cousin drowned when their skiff overturned near St. Lawrence Island.
A 15-year-old Alaska resident was rescued on Sept. 7 after spending more than two days alone on a capsized fishing skiff in the Bering Sea. The teen, Derek Parker Aghnaanga, had been out with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and 34-year-old cousin, Barton Rookok, when the small boat overturned near St. Lawrence Island on Sept. 4, possibly after a fishing line became tangled in the motor.
Alaska State Troopers reported the missing group on Sunday night, prompting the Coast Guard to locate the teen at about 10:30 a.m. on the overturned vessel. The Coast Guard enlisted the nearby research vessel Northwest Explorer to assist with the rescue.
A family spokesperson said Aghnaanga attempted to cling to his brother and cousin as they drowned. The boy’s mother, Vina Kulowiyi, said he survived without food or water and spent the time praying. She added that he is now recovering sleep after the ordeal.
Kulowiyi, who was the skiff’s captain, drowned after becoming trapped beneath the overturned boat. Rookok survived with Aghnaanga for roughly a day before entering the water and dying. The rescue crew later recovered both bodies.
In a separate post, the family announced the birth of a grandson named after the deceased elder son, Sidney.