Sad news here from the U.S. Coast Guard:
July 7, 2009
Coast Guard suspends search for man overboard in Bering Sea
KODIAK, Alaska — The Coast Guard suspended the search at 4:37 p.m. Tuesday for a man who reportedly fell overboard from the commercial fishing vessel Alaska Warrior in Amukta Pass 218 miles west of Dutch Harbor.
The Coast Guard’s combined search effort included three HC-130 Hercules aircraft and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter covering more than 1,400 square miles for 11 hours. The Alaska Warrior’s crew and its sister ship, the Alaska Juris, searched for 28 hours. The crewmember's rain gear was located by the Alaska Warrior.
Coast Guard Sector Anchorage received a call at 1:15 p.m. Monday from the Alaska Warrior crew reporting a 58-year-old Japanese crewmember fell overboard at 12:45 p.m. with no survival gear or life jacket on.
The Alaska Warrior is a 192-foot trawler homeported in Seattle. The Alaska Juris is a 218-foot trawler also homeported in Seattle. Both vessels routinely operate out of Dutch Harbor.
I worked on the Alaska Ranger which is also a part of this company before it sank easter sunday of 2007. I can attest that it is extremely dangerous. i can also say that it is not uncommon for japanese crew members to avoid safety regulations that are very strict on the rest of the crew. during my time fishing for FCA i never saw the Japanese crewmen wearing thier life vests or hardhats while on deck. It is tragic the Bering Sea has claimed the life of this brave hardworking man.
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