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.
“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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