A troller with two people on board almost sank about 30 miles west of Wrangell Wednesday night.
Coast Guard spokesman David Mosley says the Carrie Arlene’s crew donned survival suits after rough weather threatened the 36-foot troller. He says they expected they might have to abandon ship.
"There were 3 to 4- foot waves that were crashing into the boat and over the boat and causing it to take water. There wasn’t any report of damage to the hull itself. It was more the elements coming against the vessel there and causing it to start sinking."
They put out a distress call via VHF radio, and the Coast Guard responded with an urgent call for assistance.
A nearby ship, the 65-foot Arik, responded and towed the troller to a protected cove. Its one-man crew helped restart the Carrie Arlene’s engine and electronics, so the water could be pumped out.
Mosely did not have the names of the crew on either ship.