Sad news on the Exito case

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for two missing men from the sunken vessel Exito.

A further Exito update

Deckboss just got off the line with Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Meredith Manning, who provided this update on the Exito sinking:

The search for the two missing Exito crewmen continues.

The Coast Guard, in its initial news release, mistakenly referred to the Exito as a "fishing vessel."

The boat was hauling cargo including 55-gallon drums and an X-ray machine from Dutch Harbor to Akutan. It was working for Trident Seafoods, which has a huge processing plant at Akutan.

More on the Exito sinking

The U.S. Coast Guard in Dutch Harbor advises that the Exito was not engaged in fishing at the time of yesterday's sinking. Rather, the vessel was being used for "cargo or freight purposes."

The Exito was among 25 crab boats selected in 2004 for a $97 million federal buyout. As part of the deal, the retired vessels were barred from commercial fishing anywhere in the world.