Alaska teen survives 2 days on top of capsized boat; watches brother, cousin die

The teenager was rescued on Monday, September 7, by a fishing boat near St. Lawrence Island — a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea. He, his brother, and their cousin were fishing for halibut when their small skiff overturned.

In Short

• The trio were fishing for halibut when their boat capsized
• Survivor's 35-year-old brother, 34-year-old cousin die
• Incident took place in the bitterly cold waters of Bering Sea

A 15-year-old Alaskan boy managed to survive for two days until help arrived after his small boat capsized in the bitterly cold waters of the Bering Sea. According to officials, the teenager, identified as Derek Parker Aghnaanga, kept himself alive by clinging onto the overturned vessel.

He was rescued on Monday, September 7, by a fishing boat near St. Lawrence Island — a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea. Though he survived the ordeal, his brother and cousin did not make it out alive.

The trio were fishing for halibut when their small skiff overturned. The captain of the fishing vessel that rescued him said Aghnaanga held on to the skiff through darkness and water temperatures around 50 degrees Farenheit (10 degrees Celsius).

"That's one tough kid," Adam White, captain of The Northwest Explorer, was quoted as saying by news station KTUU-TV. The teen said that while his cousin also clung to the capsized skiff for a while too, he did not survive until help arrived.

"Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff," White said. "And then he said that, in the previous night, before our rescue, that his cousin had slipped away," he added.

Aghnaanga's brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, was 35 years old, and their cousin was 34 years old.

Planes and helicopters belonging to the United States Coast Guard began searching for their skiff on the morning of September 7, hours after family members reported them missing.

The group set sail from the village of Savoonga on St Lawrence Island on September 4, the Coast Guard said. They had planned to return early Sunday, officials added.

Their boat capsized in the night of September 5, the Associated Press reported, citing Aghnaanga's aunt, Collen Walker. The US Coast Guard said the distressed boy was spotted by one of its air crew members on Monday morning.

The personnel deployed a raft and supplies before contacting The Northwest Explorer. Video of Aghnaanga's rescue shows him kneeling atop the capsized skiff and wearing a bright yellow jacket.

He was experiencing symptoms of hypothermia when he was pulled aboard The Northwest Explorer, the Coast Guard said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by the grieving family to seek financial assistance required to cover funeral expenses of the two men who lost their lives. The campaign has already raised more than USD 40,000.

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