KODIAK, Alaska – Members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Whittier flotilla provided a tow for a 25-foot pleasure boat Thursday when the boat became disabled about 15 miles southeast of Whittier.
The Whittier Police Department received notice from a third party Wednesday night that the boat had suffered an electrical failure and was anchored in East Finger Inlet. In the message relayed from the boat’s owner and only person aboard, Claude Culver, 79, of Whittier, asked for a tow but said he could wait until the following day for a friend to arrive.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Kodiak overflew the area at 12:40 a.m. Thursday and briefly made radio contact with Culver, who confirmed he was not in distress.
During the day, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage requested Auxiliary assistance and the SAFE Boat from Whittier launched at 5 p.m., crewed by Auxiliarists Dave Brubaker and Bill Reiter. They located the Mr. Culver in Culross Passage at 7:15 p.m. and towed it back to Whittier, arriving safely at 11 p.m.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. It’s 29,000 members support active duty personnel and carry out missions including public education, vessel examinations and safety patrols.
