Alaska Teen’s Survival Story: Stranded on Overturned Skiff in Bering Sea
An Alaska teenager endured nearly forty-eight hours atop an overturned fishing skiff, waiting to be rescued. According to rescuers and family, Derek Parker Aghnaanga, aged 15, told them his cousin vanished during the night while his older brother remained beneath the vessel after all three had been thrown into the freezing Bering Sea.
On Monday morning, rescuers found Aghnaanga on the capsized skiff about four miles east of St. Lawrence Island. He had been on a fishing trip with his 35-year-old brother Sidney Kulowiyi and their cousin. Adam White, captain of the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer, recounted that through shivering teeth, Aghnaanga mentioned his brother was still under the skiff. The previous night, before the rescue, his cousin had slipped away.
A GoFundMe page, organized by relatives, stated that Aghnaanga attempted to hold onto his brother and cousin after they died, prior to their bodies being retrieved.
TRAGEDY AT SEA LEAVES TEEN STRANDED ON OVERTURNED BOAT FOR NEARLY 3 DAYS IN FRIGID WATERS
Video footage from Carlos Alexis Escartin shows the teenager’s rescue by a fishing vessel on September 7, 2026, in the Bering Sea near St. Lawrence Island, Alaska.
A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Air Station Kodiak discovered Aghnaanga atop the overturned vessel. They dropped a survival raft and gear before deploying flares to direct the Northwest Explorer to his position. The crew rescued Aghnaanga and retrieved the bodies of Kulowiyi and the teenager’s cousin.
Aghnaanga exhibited symptoms of hypothermia during the rescue. Crew members covered him in blankets and used hot packs for warmth as the vessel transported him to Nome.
The three departed from the remote Alaska Native village of Savoonga on Friday for a fishing trip, intending to return early Sunday. When they did not return as planned, family members reported them missing on Sunday night, initiating a search involving the Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers, and other state and local agencies.
MISSING 70-YEAR-OLD HIKER RESCUED AFTER DISAPPEARING FOR A WEEK IN REMOTE NATIONAL PARK
Colleen Walker, an aunt of the brothers, described Kulowiyi as a modest commercial fishing captain and provider for Savoonga, a village with approximately 800 residents, where halibut fishing is vital to the community.
“We all cried and jumped for joy when the captain announced on the radio, ‘We found a kid, he’s alive, he’s alive,'” shared Walker with The Associated Press, recounting family members listening to the rescue efforts.
The family fundraiser mentioned Kulowiyi left behind children. As of Monday morning, it had raised over $42,000 towards a $45,000 goal.
“Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and communities affected by the tragic loss of these two mariners,” stated Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District.
The Coast Guard Arctic District organized the search with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, the Alaska Air National Guard’s 176th Wing, Alaska State Troopers, and local authorities in Savoonga.
No explanation has been provided by the Coast Guard or Alaska State Troopers regarding the skiff’s capsizing. Bradford Betz, a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and more, documented this incident.