Crewman goes overboard, dies near King Cove

A crewman fell off the commercial fishing vessel Matt Michelle and died near King Cove, the Alaska State Troopers report.

Troopers said the U.S. Coast Guard notified them of the mishap shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday.

Here are further details from a press release:

Preliminary investigation revealed the vessel was occupied by two persons, the skipper and one crewmember. As the anchor was being retrieved a large swell hit the side of the vessel causing the victim to be thrown into the water. The skipper, identified as Raymond Leslie Koso Jr., 48, of King Cove, radioed a distress call as he attempted to rescue the victim from the sea. Koso deployed a life ring and other means but was unsuccessful as the current carried the victim farther from the vessel. Koso eventually managed to reach the victim with a long line and was able to tow him closer to shore. After donning a survival suit, Koso entered the water and pulled the victim ashore. Eventually, Koso was joined onshore by crewmembers of the fishing vessel Miss Roxanne, who responded to the distress call. Efforts to resuscitate the victim were unsuccessful. The body of the victim, identified as Rudy Paul Dushkin Jr., 53, of King Cove, was returned to King Cove aboard the Matt Michelle and efforts are under way for the body to be sent to the state medical examiner's office in Anchorage for further investigation. No personal floatation devices were worn at the time of the incident.