KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
UPDATE 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2
Here is a slightly different version of story that KMXT’s Maggie Wall recorded.
Click arrow to listen to report, or continue below to read story.
The Coast Guard has identified the five men missing following the New Year’s Eve sinking of the F/V Scandies Rose.
Included are two members of one family. Gary Cobban, Jr., the master of the ship, was lost along with his son, David Lee Cobban.
Also lost were:
- Arthur Ganacias
- Brock Rainey
- Seth Rousseau-Gano
The two survivors, who were taken to Kodiak Island Providence Hospital, treated, and released are Dean Gribble, Jr. and John Lawler.
They were able to make it into survival suits and a life raft, and were picked up by an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Kodiak.
The Coast Guard Wednesday night suspended its search for five crew members. The Coast Guard said the decision was made after exhausting all leads in the case, and after careful consideration of survival probability.
“The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case is never easy,” said 17-th Coast Guard District Commander, Rear Adm. Matthew Bell, in a press release announcing the end of the active search.
“Our deepest condolences to the friends and families impacted by this tragedy,” he said.
The Scandies Rose sank around 10 p.m. Tuesday. The last known position was approximately 170 miles southwest of Kodiak.
Before it sank, the Scandies Rose was able to get a mayday message off on 4125 kHz, an emergency communications radio frequency, which was picked up by watchstanders at the Kodiak Communications Detachment.
Watchstanders immediately notified the Coast Guard Command Center, which initiated the launching of rescue aircraft from Air Station Kodiak.
According to the Coast Guard, the search spanned over 20 hours, 1,400 square miles and included:
— four MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews and
— 2 HC-130 Hercules airplane crews. Both from Air Station Kodiak.
— And the Coast Guard Cutter Mellon (WHEC 717), which was diverted to the area from a Bering Sea patrol.
The Coast Guard reported the weather on scene as winds in excess of 40 mph, 15 to 20 foot seas, and one-mile visibility.
ORIGINAL STORY
KMXT just received this press release with the names of the five missing crew members of the F/V Scandies Rose as well as the two survivors.
Coast Guard suspends search for 5 missing fishermen in waters near Sutwik Island
JUNEAU, Alaska – The Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday at 6:08 p.m. for five missing fishermen in the waters near Sutwik Island, Alaska.
The five missing are:
- Gary Cobban, Jr. (Master)
- David Lee Cobban
- Arthur Ganacias
- Brock Rainey
- Seth Rousseau-Gano
The two survivors are:
- Dean Gribble, Jr.
- John Lawler
The search spanned over 20 hours, 1,400 square miles and included the following assets:
• 4 MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews
• 2 HC-130 Hercules airplane crews
• Coast Guard Cutter Mellon (WHEC 717)
“The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case is never easy, and it’s only made after careful consideration of a myriad of factors,” said Rear Adm. Matthew Bell, 17th District Commander. “Our deepest condolences to the friends and families impacted by this tragedy.”
Watchstanders at the 17th District Command Center in Juneau were notified of a mayday call via High Frequency radio on Tuesday evening from the fishing vessel Scandies Rose, which capsized and sank approximately five miles southeast of Sutwik Island.
MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and HC-130 Hercules airplane crews launched from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak. The Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived on-scene and rescued two survivors from a life raft. The survivors were taken to the hospital in Kodiak, where they are reported to be in stable condition.
