U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for 4 missing after Alaska charter
Boat found partially submerged about 16 kilometres west of Sitka; body of 1 person recovered
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for four people missing after the fishing charter boat they were on was found partially submerged near the southeast Alaska community of Sitka. A fifth person was found dead Sunday.
The search, which spanned more than 20 hours and covered about 2,136 square kilometres, was suspended Monday night, the Coast Guard said.
Kingfisher Charters on Sunday evening reported that a 30-foot aluminum charter vessel with five people aboard was overdue, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The boat was last seen earlier that day near Sitka.
The Coast Guard found the boat partially submerged off an island about 16 kilometres west of Sitka and recovered the body of one person after reaching the site Sunday evening, according to statements from the Coast Guard.
Petty Officer Ian Gray has said the region was experiencing 6-foot to 11-foot seas on Sunday. He did not immediately return a message on Tuesday.
"Despite our best efforts and those of several partner agencies, we were not able to find the four remaining individuals, " Capt. Darwin Jensen with the Coast Guard said in a statement. "Suspending a search is never an easy decision. We extend our deepest sympathy to the loved ones during this difficult time."