The bodies of two people believed to be crew members from the sunken seiner Wind Walker were found on a beach near Hoonah on Monday.
According to an online report from Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers from Juneau and Hoonah responded to a call that human remains were located in Spasski Bay, about four miles east of Hoonah. Two bodies were recovered and flown to Juneau aboard an Alaska National Guard helicopter. Both were subsequently transported to the state medical examiner’s office in Anchorage for positive identification.
The bodies were found among debris from the Wind Walker, a 52-foot seiner which capsized early Dec. 1 just off Point Couverden with five crew aboard.
The discovery of the bodies prompted a renewed search of the area around Spasski Bay. The National Guard helicopter flew in NOAA law enforcement officers and a SEADOGS K-9 team to assist troopers in the search. Teams covered five miles of shoreline on foot, with support from a trooper patrol boat. No other victims were found.
The Wind Walker was homeported in Sitka, and it was previously based in Petersburg under a different owner. About 80 Sitkans gathered over the weekend for a memorial vigil in honor of the crew – and for others lost at sea over the past year.