Two People Dead Near Sitka As Boat Capsizes
On January 8, near Chichagof Island in Southeast Alaska, a distressing maritime incident occurred. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that three individuals were rescued from an overturned vessel, while two others were tragically found deceased inside the capsized boat. Despite extensive search efforts covering over 850 square miles, the operation to find the overturned boat and the two victims was halted on Friday afternoon until further information emerges.
The rescue operation commenced around 5:50 p.m. on Tuesday, with a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka successfully rescuing Tyson Ross, Jason Ipock, and James Sturm. The search continued into Wednesday morning for the two missing individuals.
Collaborating in this search were the Sitka Fire Department and the Alaska State Troopers, who, using an unmanned underwater drone on Wednesday afternoon, discovered the two deceased individuals inside the vessel’s cabin.
The Coast Guard cutter Douglas Denman was stationed alongside the overturned vessel until Wednesday night. However, worsening weather conditions forced the crew to seek shelter.
Efforts to locate the vessel resumed on Thursday, involving both the cutter’s crew and a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, but these searches did not yield any further discoveries. Another helicopter crew continued the search on Friday, also without success.
Capt. Darwin Jensen, Commander of the Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska, expressed gratitude for having rescued three people and acknowledged the valuable contributions of the responding partners. He also conveyed deep condolences to the families and friends affected by this tragic incident.
The initial response on Tuesday night included the cutters Denman and Kukui, along with an HC-130 from Air Station Kodiak. They tracked the drift of the vessel and searched the area for the missing individuals. Additional searches were conducted by Air Station Sitka on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Upon arriving at the scene on Wednesday afternoon, the Sitka Fire Department, alongside Alaska Wildlife Troopers, deployed an unmanned underwater drone, leading to the discovery of the two deceased individuals in the cabin of the vessel.
The weather conditions at the time of the incident were reported as winds of 8-10 knots, seas at 9 feet, a water temperature of 44 degrees, and an air temperature of 31 degrees.
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