An EPIRB signal alerted the Coast Guard on Saturday that the Alaska fishing vessel Destination may be in trouble near St. George Island. The emergency signal came from a location about two miles northwest of St. George Island, a port the Destination frequently visited. Coast Guard vessels and helicopters searched the area locating a debris field, oil sheen, buoys, tarps, life ring and the EPIRB. Searchers were unable to locate any sign of the missing crewman or their vessel. Weather on the scene was reported to be 30-mile per-hour winds with seas of 5-8 feet, and temperature of 20 degrees. The Coast Guard is continuing its search and the Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau was anticipated to arrive in the search area Sunday morning.
The Destination is a 98-foot vessel home based in Seattle. Little details are now available about the event. The event may have happened quickly before the crew of the Destination was able to get off a May Day message and launch their survival rafts. It is unknown whether or not freezing spray may have contributed to the incident. Icing conditions if they existed in the area could cause a vessel to suddenly lose stability. Further information about the weather conditions at the time of the emergency signal is currently unavailable.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available.