Two other boaters died as crews searched remote waters near St. Lawrence Island after weather initially hampered the response.
JUNEAU, Alaska — A 15-year-old boy was rescued from an overturned fishing skiff near St. Lawrence Island after surviving for days in the Bering Sea, while two other boaters were recovered dead, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and local reports.
The Coast Guard said the survivor was found Monday, Sept. 7, sitting on top of the capsized vessel about 4 miles east of St. Lawrence Island. A corrected Coast Guard account said an HC-130 Hercules crew from Air Station Kodiak spotted him at about 10:30 a.m. The boy was experiencing symptoms of hypothermia when he was rescued. Officials have not publicly identified him or the two people who died.
The 18-foot fishing boat had departed Savoonga on Friday, Sept. 4, and was expected to return by about 3 a.m. Sunday. The Nome Nugget reported that Alaska State Troopers were notified at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday that the vessel was overdue and that a local search-and-rescue effort was already underway. When weather prevented local crews from responding, state officials activated additional rescue resources later that evening.
Poor weather and limited visibility also delayed the Coast Guard’s aerial search. An HC-130 aircraft launched Monday morning after conditions allowed crews to reach the area. Coast Guard officials said the search involved two HC-130 aircraft, two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and Alaska Air National Guard rescue personnel, along with Alaska State Troopers and local authorities in Savoonga.
After spotting the teenager, the Coast Guard aircrew dropped a life raft and survival equipment and coordinated with the Northwest Explorer, a nearby vessel, to reach him. The aircraft crew also deployed a line of flares to guide the Northwest Explorer toward the overturned skiff before the aircraft left the area to refuel. The vessel then took the boy aboard.
Adam White, captain of the Northwest Explorer, told Alaska’s News Source that his crew saw an unusual object on the horizon as it approached the location provided by rescuers. Video from the rescue showed the teenager on top of the overturned skiff. White said the water was about 10 degrees Celsius, or 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and described the boy’s survival as remarkable.
Family members told Alaska’s News Source that the teenager had been fishing for halibut with his older brother and a cousin when the skiff overturned. His mother said he survived for days without food or water. She said his brother had been operating the boat and that the cousin initially survived alongside the teenager. Those family details were not included in the Coast Guard’s official account, which has not announced a cause for the capsizing.
The Northwest Explorer also recovered the other two boaters from the water unresponsive, the Coast Guard said. Both were taken aboard with the survivor and transported toward Nome. The Coast Guard ended its search after all three people were located. Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard’s Arctic District, expressed condolences to the families and community and thanked the Northwest Explorer and federal, state and village responders involved in the mission.
The Nome Nugget reported that the Northwest Explorer reached Nome on Tuesday morning. The teenager received medical attention, was released and later returned to Savoonga on a regularly scheduled flight. Authorities had not publicly released the identities of the two people who died as of Thursday.
The tragedy unfolded near St. Lawrence Island, a remote island in the Bering Sea west of mainland Alaska. Savoonga sits along the island’s northern coast. The distance from major rescue bases and the poor weather complicated the search, requiring coordination among federal, state and local responders as aircraft and crews were brought into the area.
The Coast Guard issued multiple corrections to its first account of the rescue. Its latest statement corrected both the survivor’s age and the time and circumstances in which he was spotted, saying the 15-year-old was sitting on top of the capsized vessel at approximately 10:30 a.m. Monday. Officials have not announced a confirmed cause for the boat’s capsizing.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.