The Coast Guard rescued nine people from a grounded fishing vessel near St. George Island on Monday.
No injuries were reported.
At approximately 4:11 a.m., watchstanders at the Coast Guard Arctic District Command Center in Juneau received a report that the fishing vessel Arctic Sea was taking on water and aground along the northern shoreline of St. George Island with nine people aboard.
A nearby fishing vessel, North Sea, was unable to safely assist the vessel due to on-scene weather conditions, which included 50-knot winds and 10-foot seas.
However, the crew of the North Sea provided on-scene updates to Coast Guard watchstanders.
Watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Forward Operating Site Cold Bay and an HC-130 Super Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak to respond.
Watchstanders also diverted USCGC Alex Haley (WMEC-39) to the area.
At approximately 11:30 a.m., the helicopter crew arrived on scene and successfully hoisted all nine people from the vessel.
The survivors were transported to awaiting emergency medical services in St. Paul.
Resolve Marine has been contracted to oversee salvage operations of the grounded vessel.
“This case demonstrated the vital importance of maintaining proper emergency equipment,” said Capt. Vincent Jansen, Chief of Incident Management at the Arctic District. “The crew of the Arctic Sea had effective communication and survival equipment onboard allowing them to quickly alert the Coast Guard of their distress and pre-stage items for a potential evacuation. This emergency preparedness greatly increased their chances of survival. The Coast Guard Arctic District stands ready to respond to maritime crisis through superior preparation and response operations execution in the challenging and expansive Arctic environment.”
The original announcement can be found here.