Coast Guard rescues 4 from sinking vessel near Lituya Bay, Alaska
The crew of the fishing vessel Kupreanof abandon ship into a liferaft in the Gulf of Alaska near Lituya Bay, Alaska.
A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka aircrew rescued four men from a life raft in Fairweather Grounds between Cross Sound and Yakutat Bay, Wednesday morning.
The aircrew hoisted the men and transported them safely to emergency medical services at Air Station Sitka.
Coast Guard Sector Juneau watchstanders received a mayday call from the captain of the 73-foot fishing vessel Kupreanof homeported in Petersburg, reporting that the vessel was taking on water. Watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Sitka.
The aircrew arrived on scene as the Kupreanof crewmembers began entering their life raft. Once the crewmembers were in the life raft, the aircrew began hoisting the men into the helicopter.
“The crew of the Kupreanof did the right thing by calling for help, putting on their immersion suits and safely abandoning the ship,” said Lt. Ben Neal, a pilot at Air Station Sitka. “Emergencies can occur at any time and having the right safety equipment is critical when operating in Alaska’s extreme environment.”
All four mariners were reported in good condition. Coast Guard personnel will attempt to determine the cause of the sinking.
“As of Oct. 15, 2015, commercial fishing vessel safety exams will be mandatory for vessels operating beyond three nautical miles offshore,” says Scott Giard, command duty officer, Sector Juneau. “This case is a perfect example of why exams are crucial for the safety of fishermen.”
Weather on scene was 10-mph winds and 7-foot seas.
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Sunken Vessels Lifted, Removed from Jakalof Bay
The F/V Kupreanof and F/V Leading Lady had been submerged since Christmas (Coast Guard photo)
The vessels F/V Kupreanof and F/V Leading Lady were safely refloated last weekend by a team of experts, including people from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Homer and Seldovia Harbormaster’s offices, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and Global Diving and Salvage.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Jonathan Alexander says the operation took four days, beginning on Friday, January 18th. He says lift bags and a crane were used to lift both vessels, which were then de-watered and transported to the Homer harbor.
Alexander says both vessels are awaiting a higher tide so that they can be lifted up out of the water. He says he does not know if either or both vessels are a total loss but says the damage to both is extensive.
No one is sure what caused the vessels to sink but heavy snowload is suspected. More than 48 inches of snow fell in the area during a large storm that moved through Southcentral Alaska December 24th and 25th.
The 53-foot Leading Lady sank down about 40 feet and was laying on its side on the sea floor. The other vessel – the F/V Kupreanof – was directly on top, with its bow buried into the Leading Lady. The sinkings occurred in the middle of a sensitive area on the fringes of Kachemak Bay, used for oyster farming.
During the recovery operation, five hundred feet of containment boom was deployed around the vessels to mitigate any further pollution. Alexander says twelve containers of various sizes containing oil products were collected from the vessels and will be properly disposed of by response crews.
Alexander says the clean-up is complete and as far as the Coast Guard is concerned, there is no longer a pollution threat at the sinking site in Jakalof Bay.