A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a fisherman after his 40-foot troller sank near Murder Cove on Admiralty Island in Alaska.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska watchstanders received a report at 10:28 a.m. Monday that the boat operator was last heard from near Murder Cove at approximately 6 a.m. Sunday aboard the 40-foot wooden fishing vessel Tyee. 

The captain had reportedly departed Sitka Friday and intended to arrive in Ketchikan on Monday evening or Tuesday. 

After unsuccessful attempts to contact him by VHF radio and cellphone, watchstanders launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka and dispatched the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Pike, Coast Guard officials said. 

Around 3 p.m., watchstanders received a report that a fishing vessel acting as a good Samaritan had located an ice chest and life raft in Murder Cove. The Coast Guard helicopter aircrew then located the man at approximately 5 p.m. on Admiralty Island two miles east of Murder Cove, on a Keku Strait shoreline, the Daily Sitka Sentinel reported.

The crew hoisted him aboard the helicopter in stable condition and transported him to Sitka for treatment by awaiting emergency medical technicians. 

The survivor told the Coast Guard he had donned a survival suit and entered a life raft after his vessel began taking on water and sank around 5 p.m. He then swam to shore, after his life raft also began taking on water. 

“In the unforgiving waters of Southeast Alaska, preparation makes the difference between tragedy and survival,” said Cmdr. Rianne Troutman, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska. 

“The survivor donning an immersion suit drastically extended his survival time and gave our search crews the fighting chance needed to bring him home safely. We cannot overstate the importance of carrying proper cold-water survival gear, filing a float plan, and ensuring your safety equipment is accessible before an emergency occurs.”