The US Coast Guard said Sunday it was searching for five people after a fishing boat reportedly capsized in bad weather and high seas near Juneau, the Alaska capital.
The crew of the Wind Walker, an approximately 50-foot-long boat, sent out a mayday call that the ship was capsizing at approximately 12:10 a.m., but Coast Guard efforts to get more information from the crew went unanswered, according to the Coast Guard press. release.
The Wind Walker capsized in the waters off Point Cooverden, southwest of Juneau.
According to the press release, the crew of a yacht, the AMHS Hubbard, heard the broadcast and were the first to go to the scene, with the Coast Guard launching an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and a response boat.
Seven cold water immersion suits and two strobe lights were found in the water in the search area.
Responders encountered heavy snowfall, winds gusting up to 60 mph and 6-foot high seas, with part of the region, which lies in the Gulf of Alaska, under winter storm warnings.
The Coast Guard said people who know the crew of the Wind Walker, which foundered in Icy Strait just south of Point Cooverden, said there were five people aboard, but officials have not yet been able to confirm that number. Are.
(TagstoTranslate)US News(T)Alaska(T)Coast Guard(T)Search and Rescue
