KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Four people are safe after a commercial trawler struck rocks near Kodiak Island and the crew abandoned ship early Monday morning. That’s according to the U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Aaron Gardner who says a distress call came in over the VHF at 7:04 a.m.
The fishing vessel Laura, a 93-foot trawler based out of Kodiak struck rocks off Sitkalidak Island south of Old Harbor.
Gardner says that the four-person crew donned survival suits and boarded a raft.
“They were picked up by the Coast Guard helo and hoisted and taken back to Kodiak. There were no medical concerns, and everybody was accounted for,” Gardner said.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a C-130 were on scene for the rescue. A good Samaritan vessel, Stillwater, was in the area to assist.
By around 9:15 a.m. all four crewmembers were on dry land, according to Gardner. The rescue was performed in 24 mph winds with less than 10-mile visibility.
The F/V Laura ran aground and took on water. The Coast Guard reports that the vessel had a maximum of 4,000 gallons of diesel aboard. At present, there are no signs of pollution.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the F/V Laura sank. According to the Coast Guard, the vessel ran aground.
