15-Year-Old Alaska Boy Survives 62 Hours at Sea After Brother and Cousin Die
A 15-year-old Alaska boy survived roughly 62 hours clinging to an overturned fishing boat in the freezing Bering Sea — but his rescue came with a devastating revelation.
Derek Parker Aghnaanga was the only survivor after a fishing trip near St. Lawrence Island turned into a deadly ordeal. His 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, became trapped beneath the overturned skiff, while their 34-year-old cousin, Barton Rookok, later slipped into the water and died.
When rescuers finally reached the teenager, he was suffering from hypothermia and had spent days exposed to the cold without food or water.
A Fishing Trip Turns Into a Nightmare
Aghnaanga set out from the remote village of Savoonga on Sept. 4 with Kulowiyi and Rookok to fish for halibut.
The small skiff was expected to return around 3 a.m. on Sept. 6, but the three never made it home. After the family reported them missing, the U.S. Coast Guard began a search using aircraft and helicopters.
The boat had capsized somewhere in the Bering Sea, although authorities have not publicly established the exact timing or cause of the accident.
Aghnaanga managed to climb onto the exposed hull and remained there as the overturned vessel drifted in the frigid water.
His Brother Was Still Beneath the Boat
The teenager later told rescuers what had happened to the two people who had been with him.
Adam White, captain of the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer, said Aghnaanga spoke to the crew through chattering teeth after being brought aboard.
The teenager told them that his brother was still beneath the skiff. He also revealed that his cousin, who had initially survived alongside him on the overturned boat, had slipped away the night before the rescue.
The Alaska State Troopers later identified the two deceased boaters as Kulowiyi, 35, and Rookok, 34, both from Savoonga.
For Aghnaanga, the ordeal meant remaining alone on the wreck as darkness repeatedly fell around him.
The Rescue Came After Nearly Three Days
The Coast Guard spotted Aghnaanga at around 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 7, after the search for the missing boaters intensified.
He was found roughly four miles from St. Lawrence Island, sitting on top of the capsized skiff.
The Coast Guard deployed a raft and survival supplies before coordinating with the nearby Northwest Explorer, whose crew went to retrieve him. Rescue footage shows the teenager in a bright yellow jacket as crew members approached the overturned boat and eventually pulled him aboard.
The water temperature was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 degrees Celsius. White said the teenager had endured the darkness and cold while holding onto the boat for days.
“That’s one tough kid,” White told KTUU-TV.
By the time he reached the fishing vessel, Aghnaanga was showing signs of hypothermia. Crew members wrapped him in blankets and used hot packs to help warm him as they headed toward Nome, where he could be reunited with his family.
A Family’s Joy Mixed With Grief
For Aghnaanga’s relatives, the rescue brought both overwhelming relief and heartbreaking grief.
His mother and other family members were listening to the rescue unfold over a speakerphone when they heard that the crew had found someone alive.
Aghnaanga’s aunt, Collen Walker, recalled the family crying and celebrating when they learned that the teenager had survived — only to immediately ask what had happened to the other two men.
Walker said Aghnaanga frequently went fishing with his older brother, who had become a father figure to him after their own father died. She described Kulowiyi, a commercial fishing captain, as a humble and caring provider for people in the village.
The tragedy has also deeply affected Savoonga, a community of about 800 residents where halibut fishing remains an important part of both culture and survival. Residents often share their catch with relatives and neighbors, Walker said.
A Survival Story Marked by Loss
Aghnaanga’s rescue has been hailed as remarkable, but his survival came at an enormous cost.
He endured approximately two to three days on the overturned skiff in the Bering Sea, eventually making it back to land alive while his brother and cousin did not.
A GoFundMe campaign established for Aghnaanga’s family is approaching its $40,000 goal, with funds intended to support the teenager and help with funeral expenses and the family’s needs following the tragedy.
For the family, the moment rescuers found Aghnaanga alive will remain a powerful memory — one marked at the same time by the devastating realization that two other loved ones would never return home.