A Coast Guard aircraft spotted the 15-year-old near St. Lawrence Island before the Northwest Explorer brought him aboard.
SAVOONGA, Alaska — A 15-year-old boy survived for days on an overturned fishing skiff in the cold Bering Sea before rescuers reached him near St. Lawrence Island, while his older brother and a cousin who had been traveling with him died.
The three left Savoonga in an 18-foot fishing boat Friday, Sept. 4, for a halibut trip and were expected to return by about 3 a.m. Sunday, according to local reports and the U.S. Coast Guard. After they failed to return, local crews began searching. The Coast Guard ultimately found the teenager Monday morning about 4 miles east of St. Lawrence Island. He was sitting on the capsized vessel and showing symptoms of hypothermia.
Darren Toolie-Noongwook, an older brother of the survivor, told Alaska’s News Source that the family had authorized the use of only the first names of his brothers. He identified the survivor as Parker and the older brother who died as Sidney. The family asked that the cousin not be named without permission from that person’s relatives.
Toolie-Noongwook said a fishing line became tangled in the boat’s motor and caused the skiff to overturn Friday night. He said Sidney became trapped and died while Parker and their cousin made it onto the overturned boat. He said the cousin remained with Parker before later entering the water and dying. The Coast Guard has not publicly announced an official cause for the capsizing, making the account of how the boat overturned a family account rather than a confirmed agency finding.
Alaska State Troopers were notified at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday that the boat was overdue, according to information provided to The Nome Nugget. A local search-and-rescue effort was already underway, but poor weather prevented local crews from responding by boat. State officials activated additional rescue resources that evening. Poor visibility and weather also prevented Coast Guard aircraft from immediately reaching the search area.
Once conditions improved, an HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak reached the area Monday. The Coast Guard later corrected earlier information about the rescue and said the aircrew spotted the 15-year-old sitting on top of the capsized vessel at approximately 10:30 a.m. The crew dropped a life raft and survival equipment before coordinating with the Northwest Explorer, a vessel operating nearby.
The Coast Guard aircraft placed a line of flares to direct the Northwest Explorer toward the overturned skiff before leaving the area to refuel. Adam White, captain of the Northwest Explorer, told Alaska’s News Source that his crew saw an unusual object on the horizon as the vessel approached. Video of the rescue showed the teenager kneeling on top of the overturned boat before the crew brought him aboard.
White said the water in the area was about 10 degrees Celsius, or 50 degrees Fahrenheit. He said the teenager was visibly cold as crew members worked to warm him and keep him talking. Family members said Parker had survived without food or drinking water during the ordeal. The Coast Guard said he was experiencing symptoms of hypothermia when he was rescued.
The Northwest Explorer also recovered the other two boaters unresponsive from the water, according to the Coast Guard. All three were transported toward Nome. The vessel reached Nome on Tuesday morning, The Nome Nugget reported. Parker received medical attention, was released and later returned to Savoonga on a regularly scheduled flight.
The search drew resources from several agencies. The Coast Guard Arctic District said two Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft and two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters were launched, along with an Alaska Air National Guard HC-130 and rescue personnel. The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, Alaska State Troopers and local authorities in Savoonga were also involved. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Bob Little expressed condolences to the families and thanked the Northwest Explorer and federal, state and village responders for their work.
The Coast Guard issued corrections after its first announcement about the rescue. The agency initially gave a different age for the survivor and later corrected the time and circumstances in which he was found. Its latest account identifies him as 15 and says he was sitting on top of the capsized vessel when the Coast Guard aircraft located him at about 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Communities across western Alaska have since mourned the two people who died. Toolie-Noongwook said his younger brother was recovering at home in Savoonga. The Coast Guard has concluded its search because all three boaters were located, while no official finding on what caused the skiff to capsize had been announced as of Thursday.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.