5 missing after fishing vessel capsizes in southeast Alaska

Five people are missing after a fishing vessel capsized in southeast Alaska, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. An active search is underway to locate the missing crew members.

The fishing vessel, the Wind Walker, reportedly overturned around 12:10 a.m. local time near Couverden Point, prompting an immediate response from Coast Guard watchstanders in Southeast Alaska, said the press release.

The Coast Guard received a mayday call from the Wind Walker crew, who reported the vessel capsizing. However, attempts to gather further information were unsuccessful as the crew could not be reached after the initial call. A registered emergency position-indicating radio beacon alert confirmed the vessel’s location just south of Point Couverden, near Icy Strait.

Initial reports to the Coast Guard indicated that five people were aboard the vessel at the time of the incident, though this number has not yet been confirmed.

In response to the distress call, the Coast Guard launched a search operation, deploying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and a response boat. The ferry vessel AMHS Hubbard, which was in the area and had overheard the Coast Guard’s broadcast, also arrived on the scene to assist with the search.

So far, search teams have found seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights in the water near the site of the capsizing. However, local weather conditions, including heavy snow, 45-60 mph winds, and six-foot seas, could impact search efforts.

The identities of those aboard the Wind Walker have not been released, and the Coast Guard is asking anyone with information to contact them at 907-463-2980.