The US Coast Guard and Alaska State trooper boat crews rescued five fishermen when their vessel sunk near Black Island, on Sunday, July 14. The Daffnie commercial fishing vessel sunk in approximately 500-foot deep water with the possibility of 400 gallons of diesel fuel aboard.
Specifically, on Sunday 10:55 a.m. Coast Guard Sector Juneau watchstanders received a distress call over VHF channel 16 from an operator of the fishing vessel Daffnie.
The fishermen stated that their vessel had capsized and sunk, whereas the five fishermen onboard the ship, abandoned it and entered a skiff. The fishermen informed the watchstanders of their coordinates and highlighted that there was only one life jacket.
In the meantime, the Coast Guard 17th District watchstanders also received notification from the Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacon concerning the vessel sinking; Yet, they were additionally informed that the fishermen that were transferred to the skiff, had only one handheld radio, one survival suit and were holding onto their seine net.
Following, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Ketchikan and an Alaska State Trooper boat crew came to the rescue. Also, the response boat was assisted by an Alaska State wildlife trooper to help with the fishermen’s rescue, which also confirmed the location of the skiff. 10 minutes later, the RB-M boat crew along with the fishing vessel Lovie Joann, which was nearby arrived to the scene.
Moreover, the USCG informs that the captain of the Daffnie remained to the scene aboard the skiff to retrieve the net with the assistance of the Lovie Joann crew.
The RB-M crew transferred the four rescued fishermen to their boat, recovered a life raft and EPIRB, and returned them all to Ketchikan.
Concluding, although no injuries were reported, the RB-M crew informed of a sheen visible while on scene, pollution and potential salvage response pending further investigation by Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Ketchikan personnel.
