Three people were rescued Monday (Feb. 13) morning after their fishing vessel ran aground near Akutan Harbor.
After the U.S. Coast Guard heard reports the F/V Predator was taking on water, Petty Officer John-Paul Rios said they launched a rescue by air.
“A Coast Guard helicopter got on-scene, hoisted three individuals off the vessel, and transported them back to Akutan,” Rios said. “We were told they had no kind of medical conditions.”
The fate of the vessel is less certain. Rios said the Predator ran aground hard, and it’s unclear whether it can be repaired.
“There was an eight-inch crack in the hull of the vessel, and that’s what caused it to take on water,” Rios said. “I haven’t been notified about any pollution, but that’s something we’ll definitely keep an eye on.”
Meanwhile, Rios said the Coast Guard is still searching for the F/V Destination and its six crew members. The crabbing vessel went missing Saturday morning near St. George Island.
Laura Kraegel covers Unalaska and the Aleutian Islands for KUCB . Originally from Chicago, she first came to Alaska to work at KNOM, reporting on Nome and the Bering Strait Region. (laura@kucb.org / 907.581.6700)
