Teenager rescued from capsized boat in Bering Sea after two relatives drown
A 15-year-old fisherman was rescued by a research vessel in the Bering Sea after surviving days on an overturned boat off Alaska's St. Lawrence Island.
Capsizing in the Bering Sea
A 15-year-old boy survived several days adrift in the Bering Sea after an 18-foot (5.5-meter) commercial fishing vessel capsized off Alaska's St. Lawrence Island. The crew departed from the village of Savoonga on Friday for a fishing trip and was scheduled to return early on Sunday. Trouble began when the boat's motor became tangled in fishing line, leaving the crew unable to free the propeller despite multiple attempts. As night fell, weather conditions deteriorated rapidly, causing the disabled vessel to flip in rough waters. The boy's older brother, Sydney Toolie-Noongwook, was attempting to retrieve a life jacket for the teenager when he became entangled in lines and drowned as the vessel overturned.
Survival on the overturned hull
Following the capsizing, the 15-year-old, identified as Parker Toolie-Noongwook, and his cousin managed to climb onto the exposed bottom of the overturned boat. The two remained together on the hull through the night in freezing conditions. As time passed, the cousin panicked and jumped into the water, attempting to swim away from the vessel. He managed to travel roughly five to six feet before drowning in the icy sea. Parker remained alone on the swaying hull, kneeling and praying while awaiting help. Family member Darren Toolie-Noongwook later recounted Parker's determination to survive during the ordeal.
He said he believed he was going to make it. He believed that he was gonna be found and he was gonna be safe, and it happened.
Search and aerial sighting
Concerns arose when the vessel failed to return on Sunday morning, prompting relatives to contact maritime authorities. The United States Coast Guard received the emergency alert on Sunday evening, but severe weather and poor visibility forced search teams to postpone initial operations until Monday morning. An aerial search crew located the overturned vessel on Monday afternoon, approximately six kilometers (about four miles) east of St. Lawrence Island. Crew members aboard the search aircraft dropped a survival raft, emergency equipment, and marker flares onto the water near the teenager to establish his position.
- Fishing boat departs Savoonga, motor entangles in line, and vessel capsizes in rough weather.
- US Coast Guard receives overdue notification after the vessel misses scheduled return.
- Search operations launch after weather and visibility delays prevent earlier deployment.
- Coast Guard aircrew spots Parker on overturned hull and deploys survival equipment.
- Research vessel Northwest Explorer retrieves the teenager four hours after redirecting.
Rescue by research vessel
Coast Guard controllers radioed nearby vessels for assistance, contacting the motor vessel Northwest Explorer, a research ship returning from an Arctic mission. Captain Adam White altered the ship's course to steam toward the provided coordinates, while seven scientists and six crew members kept watch across the water. Four hours after receiving the distress transmission, the crew spotted Parker on Monday evening and pulled him aboard. The teenager was suffering from hypothermia and received immediate care before being reunited with his family. The Coast Guard subsequently confirmed the recovery of the bodies of both men who died in the accident.
Our hearts go out to the families, friends and communities affected by the tragic loss of these two mariners. We are grateful for the incredible efforts of the motor vessel Northwest Explorer; federal, state, village first responders; and mission partners who assisted in the effort that resulted in a life saved.
