Coast Guard helicopter crew battles high winds to rescue 9 from grounded
fishing boat in Alaska
[January 07, 2026]
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Nine crew members were hoisted to a helicopter
off a commercial crab boat amid near gale force winds, strong downward
drafts from a nearby cliff and rough seas after the fishing vessel
grounded on an Alaska island in the Bering Sea.
The Coast Guard said there were no injuries to the crew members of the
Arctic Sea, a 134-foot (41-meter) boat owned by the Coastal Villages
Region Fund and fishing for tanner crab.
The ship grounded Monday on the northern shore of Saint George Island,
the southernmost of the small Pribilofs islands group with fewer than
100 residents, predominantly Aleuts. The group of islands is located
about 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) west of Anchorage.
“I’m on the fog, I’m on the beach, we lost our steering,” someone from
the Arctic Sea reports to the Coast Guard when calling in a mayday,
according to audio provided by the Coast Guard. “We're taking on water.”
The vessel came to a stop near a cliff face that rose hundreds of feet
above the water, Lt. Cmdr. Conor Regan and Lt. Cmd. Josh Womboldt, the
pilots of the rescue helicopter, said in a joint statement to The
Associated Press.
The pilots positioned the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter about 50 feet (15
meters) above the Arctic Sea and hovered in the rough conditions to
conduct the rescue.
“Due to how strong the winds were, we made sure to consider downdrafts
coming off the cliffs and severe turbulence when hoisting the
crewmembers from the Arctic Sea,” Regan said in an email to AP.
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“The aircrew also conducted the hoists of all nine crewmembers and
the rescue swimmer in about 25 minutes, a testament to the skill and
professionalism of the aircrew,” Regan said.
Winds of nearly 60 mph (96 kph) and 10-foot (3-meter) seas caused
the Arctic Sea to take on water and eventually go aground about 4
a.m. Monday. Video taken by a resident from atop the cliff showed
waves slapping over the grounded ship.
The North Sea, another fishing vessel owned by Coastal Villages, was
nearby but couldn’t assist the Arctic Sea because of the weather and
the shallow water where it came to rest.
However, the North Sea stayed nearby and kept a line of
communications open to the Coast Guard, which deployed a helicopter,
airplane and rerouted its vessel, the Alex Haley.
The Arctic Sea’s crew put on survival suits about 8 a.m. and
activated an emergency radio beacon to indicate their location, Eric
Deakin, the CEO of Coastal Villages Region Fund, said in an email to
the AP.
The ship’s fire suppression system activated, forcing the crew
members from the enclosed bridge to the deck, where they awaited
rescue.
The helicopter arrived about 11:30 a.m. Monday and performed the
rescue operation. The rescued crew members were delivered to Saint
Paul Island, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) to the northwest,
because Saint George lacked emergency medical services support and
there was no way for the helicopter to refuel there.
A private company has been contracted to oversee salvage operations
of the Arctic Sea, the Coast Guard said.
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