A crew member of the Alaska Ranger is taken on board the Coast Guard Cutter Munro. The Alaska Ranger began taking on water 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor. (March 23, 2008)Credit: U.S. Coast Guard
The Alaska Ranger is seen at a port in Dutch Harbor, Jan. 2006. The Coast Guard said four crew members died Sunday, March 23, 2008, and another was missing after the 184-foot Alaska Ranger began sinking in high seas off Alaska's Aleutian Islands. (AP Photo/Jim Paulin)
Four dead, one missing after boat sinks off Alaskan coast
Sunday, March 23, 2008 10:47 PM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A fishing boat sank off Alaska's Aleutian Islands today, leaving four crew members including the captain dead and another missing, the Coast Guard said.
Forty-two of the 47 crew members on board the Seattle-based Alaska Ranger were rescued, but the search continued for the missing person, said Chief Petty Officer Barry Lane.
The 184-foot vessel started taking on water shortly before 3 a.m. after losing control of its rudder 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor, which is on Unalaska Island.
In a statement, the ship's owner, the Fishing Company of Alaska, said it did "not have sufficient information to determine why the vessel foundered."
Seas with up to 8-foot waves and 25-knot winds were reported at the time the ship sank, Lane said. The Coast Guard was investigating the cause of the sinking, he said.
The company identified those killed as ship's captain Eric Peter Jacobsen, chief engineer Daniel Cook, mate David Silveira and crewman Byron Carrillo.
"They were incredibly brave, hard-working men. Our hearts are broken," the company said. The men's ages and hometowns were not released.
(snip)
The Coast Guard also told harbor officials to have an ambulance ready, but didn't specify the degree or nature of any injuries, Harvey said.
"I figure there's quite a bit of hypothermia going on," he said.
The Alaska Ranger is owned by Seattle-based Fishing Company of Alaska.
VERY SAD STORY FROM ALASKA...
CHOMP: I feel such pain over this tragedy. I work with people who work with Anchorage and Dutch Harbor. I watch the Crab Boat shows on tv, and see how dangerous a job they have. Some of these boats come into Seattle after crabbing season. This vessel was based in Seattle, and the heroic Captain and his family live just north of Seattle.
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