Capsized Fishing Vessel's Crew Rescued Near Sitka

A capsized fishing vessel’s crew was rescued by good Samaritans near Sitka after it rolled while pulling in loaded salmon nets, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Sector Juneau was informed at about 7:45 a.m. that the 50-foot seiner Evening Star sank in about 300 feet of water in Slocum Arm, 40 miles northwest of Sitka.

All five crewmen aboard were rescued in good condition by the fishing vessel Chickamene, which took them to Sitka.

About 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel were still aboard the Evening Star when it sank. Coast Guardsmen and Alaska State Troopers observed an oil sheen about 1 mile long in the area Thursday afternoon, prompting an emergency closure of Slocum Arm's salmon fishery south of Nine Foot Shoal Light by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

“We are working with the owner of the vessel (to) mitigate the pollution on scene and salvage the vessel if possible,” said Lt. Ryan Erickson, Sector Juneau incident management division chief. “We thank the Chickamene crew for rescuing these five fishermen and bringing them to safety.”

A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka helicopter is scheduled to conduct an overflight of the area Friday morning.