Search Called Off for Lost Seiner's Crew in Icy Strait

 

On Monday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for five missing crewmembers from the fishing vessel Wind Walker, which capsized south of Haines, Alaska in the early hours of Sunday morning. U.S. Coast Guard crews and good Samaritan vessels searched for nearly 24 hours in heavy snow and wind, and covered a search area of more than 100 square nautical miles without success.

"I am deeply grateful for the swiftness of our crews and other search assets who came together to amplify our efforts and completely saturate our search areas," said Chief Warrant Officer James Koon, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska. "Our collective hearts are with the friends and families who are experiencing the effects from this loss." 

At 0007 hours on Sunday morning, Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska received a VHF mayday call from the crew of the 50-foot seiner Wind Walker. The crew reported that they were capsizing off Couverden Point, about 60 nautical miles south of Haines. The crew dropped out of contact, and no further responses were heard over VHF. Shortly after, the Coast Guard received an alert from the Wind Walker's EPIRB at a position in Icy Strait.

The Alaska Marine Highway ferry Hubbard overheard the mayday and was the first responder on scene, followed by the icebreaker USCGC Healy and the cutter USCGC Douglas Denman. They found seven survival suits - all empty - along with two strobe lights, but no signs of the missing crew. Weather on scene included 50-knot northerly winds and driving snow, presenting an extremely difficult situation for cold-water survival and for search operations. 

The Coast Guard did not speculate on the cause of the casualty. The captain of the Hubbard reported freezing spray, and photos taken by the ferry's passengers suggest icing conditions in the area at the time of the casualty. Topside ice accumulation has claimed many Alaskan fishing vessels over the decades, most recently including the Scandies Rose and the F/V Destination.