A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew and Alaska State Troopers came to the aid of three men in a disabled fishing boat near Hooper Bay on April 22.
Watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District command center said that troopers notified them that the vessel ran out of gas the previous evening, but that the troopers were unable to locate the vessel to provide assistance.
It was reported that the request for help came from one of the men aboard the 24-foot fishing vessel via cell phone.
The Coast Guard launched an Air Station Kodiak HC-130 Hercules airplane from Kodiak, located the boat and remained on scene until the troopers arrived to provide fuel and escort the vessel into port.
Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Ayd, command duty officer for the 17th District command center, said that working with the troopers they were able to quickly locate the boat and provide assistance. “This case highlights the importance of carrying multiple means of communication devices while on the water,” Ayd said.
Weather on scene was 17-miles an hour winds and one-foot seas.
