ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Coast Guard personnel and Alaska State Troopers are searching for a 33-year-old man in Deep Bay near Cordova, Sunday.
The crew of the Alaska State Wildlife Trooper vessel Churchill and a smallboat crew from the Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore are on scene.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Anchorage command center received a call via VHF-FM channel 16 Saturday night from a man who swam to shore after his 5.5-foot punt-style boat capsized with one other person aboard. The other man was last seen swimming to shore when he went under water. Neither man was wearing a lifejacket.
Coast Guard Sector Anchorage personnel issued an urgent marine information broadcast notice to mariners requesting the assistance of mariners in the area and requested helicopter support from Air Station Kodiak. The Cordova-based crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore responded to the UMIB broadcast and assisted in the search using their smallboat crews. Rescuers searched for approximately 5 hours before placing the search on hold and waiting for daylight. The Churchill remained at anchor in Deep Bay overnight and the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak resumed the search for the man at first light.
“Our priority right now is to bring this man home safely,” said Lt. Matthew Mitchell, Sector Anchorage command center chief. “The Coast Guard is working closely with our Alaska State Wildlife Trooper partners to locate him.”
Weather on scene is reported as light winds out of the north and overcast skies.