15-Year-Old Survives 62 Hours at Sea After Brother, Cousin Drown

A 15-year-old Alaskan boy has survived 62 hours alone at sea after the fishing boat he was travelling in capsized, leaving his older brother and cousin dead.

Derek Parker Aghnaanga was fishing for halibut with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and 34-year-old cousin, Barton Rookok, when their small skiff overturned near St. Lawrence Island and drifted into the Bering Sea on September 4.

Aghnaanga was the only survivor and reportedly spent about three days clinging to the overturned vessel in extremely cold conditions.

According to Adam White, captain of the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer, the teenager revealed after his rescue that his brother remained trapped beneath the overturned skiff, while his cousin slipped from the vessel into the sea the night before the rescue.

“Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff and then he said that in the previous night before our rescue that his cousin had slipped away off the top of the skiff,” White told Alaska’s News Source.

The US Coast Guard located Aghnaanga at about 10:30 a.m. on Monday after Alaska State Troopers raised the alarm when the three fishermen failed to return home.

The Northwest Explorer, carrying a crew of 13 as well as scientists, was asked to assist in the search and rescue operation.

White said the crew initially spotted what appeared to be an unusual object on the horizon before realising that a person was clinging to the overturned boat.

Dramatic footage of the rescue showed the vessel approaching the capsized skiff and crew members pulling the teenager to safety.

White described the rescue as “unbelievable” and “remarkable,” noting that the water temperature was around 10 degrees Celsius.

Aghnaanga was reportedly showing signs of hypothermia when he was brought aboard the Northwest Explorer. Crew members wrapped him in blankets and kept him talking as they travelled towards Nome, where he was reunited with his family.

A family member told Alaska’s News Source that Aghnaanga’s brother, who was the captain of the boat, became trapped underneath the vessel and drowned, while his cousin also died after falling into the sea.

His mother said the teenager survived without food or water while clinging to the skiff from Saturday until Tuesday.

“Saturday, all the way to Tuesday, that kid was on top of that skiff. I mean, that’s one tough kid,” White said.

A GoFundMe campaign launched to support Aghnaanga’s family and assist with funeral expenses has reportedly raised close to its $40,000 target.