Five Safe After FV Kodiak Isle Hits Rock Near Sitkinak

Matt Miller/KTOO Jay Barrett/KMXT
Five people were rescued early this (Thursday) morning after their fishing vessel hit a rock southwest of Kodiak Island.
The 58-foot “Kodiak Isle” reportedly hit a rock and began taking on water near Sitkinak Island. The Coast Guard says the vessel’s dewatering pumps were not keeping up with the flooding and the five male crewmembers donned survival suits just after midnight and abandoned ship. They drifted to the beach in their liferaft.
In response to the ship’s mayday call, Petty Officer Loren Brady of Coast Guard Sector Anchorage says an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was launched from Air Station Kodiak. A flare from the crewmen was spotted on the beach, and the five were hoisted into the Jayhawk and brought back to Kodiak. No injuries were reported.
The “Kodiak Isle” was still afloat at 2:30 this morning when the helicopter left the scene. Brady says the Coast Guard was planning to dispatch another helicopter at first light to check on the vessel and any potential pollution. It was reportedly carrying about 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
The weather at the time of the incident, as reported by a nearby weather buoy, was 10 to 20 mph winds with 10-foot seas. The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.