Alaska Teen Rescued From Capsized Skiff in Bering Sea Recounts Tragic Loss of Brother and Cousin

A harrowing ordeal in the freezing waters of the Bering Sea came to an end with the rescue of a 15-year-old Alaska teenager, who survived nearly three days stranded atop an overturned boat while facing the devastating loss of two close family members.

The survivor, identified as Derek Parker Aghnaanga, was discovered clinging to the hull of a capsized fishing skiff approximately four miles east of St. Lawrence Island. The discovery followed an extensive multi-agency emergency search operation launched after the vessel failed to return on schedule from what was intended to be a routine fishing expedition.

After being pulled from the water, the teenager recounted the tragic final hours of his companions to his rescuers. Through intense shivering, the youth explained that his cousin had vanished into the sea during the night preceding the rescue, while his older brother remained trapped beneath the overturned hull of the skiff.

Adam White, the captain of the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer, which assisted in the rescue operation, described the emotional scene to local television station KTUU-TV. White stated that despite teeth chattering from severe cold exposure, the teenager managed to communicate that his brother was still under the vessel and that his cousin had slipped away in the dark.

The initial visual confirmation of the capsized boat came from the air, when a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew dispatched from Air Station Kodiak spotted the teenager stranded on the hull. The aircrew immediately deployed emergency survival equipment, including a life raft, and fired flares to signal his precise coordinates to nearby maritime vessels.

Guided by the aircraft's markers, crew members aboard the Northwest Explorer navigated to the coordinates, where they successfully pulled Aghnaanga from the freezing waters. Alongside the rescue of the surviving teenager, the crew also recovered the remains of his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and their cousin.

Upon being brought aboard the fishing boat, Aghnaanga displayed acute signs of hypothermia resulting from his prolonged exposure to the elements. Crew members immediately administered emergency warming care, wrapping the teenager in heavy blankets and applying heat packs before transporting him to the regional medical hub in Nome.

The ill-fated voyage had begun late last week when the three mariners departed the remote Alaska Native village of Savoonga on Friday. The group had anticipated returning to the village by early Sunday morning, but when they failed to arrive, concerned relatives contacted authorities late Sunday evening to report them overdue.

The report triggered an immediate and coordinated emergency response across western Alaska. The search operation was spearheaded by the Coast Guard Arctic District and integrated assets from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Wing, the Alaska State Troopers, and local municipal authorities based in Savoonga.

Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District, extended his condolences following the conclusion of the search, stating that their thoughts were with the families, friends, and communities impacted by the heartbreaking loss of the two experienced mariners.

Back in the tight-knit community of Savoonga, family members had gathered to monitor the emergency search channels. Colleen Walker, an aunt to the brothers, recounted the overwhelming emotional swing when word finally arrived over the radio waves that her nephew had been found alive, prompting tears and cheers among the listening relatives.

Walker remembered Kulowiyi as a humble commercial fishing captain who served as a dependable provider for the community. The 35-year-old mariner, who is survived by his children, was deeply rooted in the maritime traditions of the island.

The loss has deeply shaken Savoonga, a remote village with an estimated population of 800 residents. In this isolated community, commercial and subsistence halibut fishing serve not only as a primary economic driver, but as a central pillar of cultural identity and local sustenance.

An online fundraising campaign created by the family revealed that during the agonizing days at sea, Aghnaanga desperately attempted to hold onto the bodies of his brother and cousin after they succumbed to the elements. The fundraiser, aimed at supporting the grieving family and Kulowiyi's children, quickly drew widespread support, raising more than $42,000 toward its $45,000 target by Monday morning.

While the rescue operation has concluded, questions remain regarding the precise circumstances that led to the maritime disaster. Official investigators from both the U.S. Coast Guard and the Alaska State Troopers have not yet determined what caused the skiff to overturn in the Bering Sea waters.