A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk crew and good Samaritans assisted with the rescue of the captain and three crew members on July 24, from a capsized fishing vessel in the Kupreanof Strait near Raspberry Island.
The crew of the Calista Marie arrived on scene and rescued one crewman from the Grayling, as the Grayling’s skiff driver rescued the master. The aircrew diverted from a training flight when they observed the captain of the capsized fishing vessel Grayling jump into the water to assist the fourth crewman.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Anchorage received a call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 3:25 p.m. on July 24 from the crew of the Calista Marie reporting that they responded to the capsized Grayling. The captain of the Grayling was able to pull one of his crewmen safely onto the Grayling’s purse seiner skiff and initiate CPR. The MH-60 Jayhawk crew then transported him to awaiting EMS at Kodiak Municipal Airport.
The cause of the capsizing has not been determined.
“That fisherman didn’t hesitate. It was incredible to see him jump into 47-degree water to save his crew,” said Lt Kevin Riley, an Air Station Kodiak Jayhawk pilot. “It is a testament to how tough those fishermen are and how far they will go to help their fellow Alaskans.”
Weather on scene was 17-mile-per-hour winds, and five-foot seas with unrestricted visibility.
