The Katmai, a 92-foot cod fishing and processing vessel and some of its 11-member crew are missing in the Bering Sea. The vessel was in Amchitka pass just west of Adak in the Aleutian Islands when it went missing. The Coast Guard responded to an EPIRB signal from the ship at about 1:00 a.m. local time but received no mayday calls. Coast Guard petty officer Wes Shinn said when an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and a C-130 arrived from Kodiak five hours later, they only found an empty survival suit and part of a life raft. After searching from air for 6 hours, 4 survivors were found. They found the body of a crew member wearing a survival suit with the name of the vessel on the back. The body of another crew member was also found. The good Samaritan fishing vessel Courageous is helping with the search. So far, they’ve found buoys, fishing gear, a life raft, a life ring, and an empty survival suit. Another good Samaritan vessel will be in the area by 7:00 p.m.
Anne Hillman, KUCB – Unalaska
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