A 15-year-old boy has been rescued after spending days stranded on top of a capsized fishing boat in the freezing waters of Alaska’s Bering Sea.
Vina Kulowiyi, the fishing boat capsized on Saturday, leaving her son without food or water for two days, according to Aghnaanga’s mother. The boy, identified by his family as Derek Parker Aghnaanga from Savoonga, was the only survivor after the boat overturned. The crew pulled the boy onto the Northwest Explorer and kept talking to him while trying to warm him up. He was later taken towards Nome so he could be reunited with his family. The community is mainly home to Siberian Yupik people, and both English and St Lawrence Island Yupik are widely spoken there. “His story is amazing. He was never afraid the whole time,” she wrote.
The family lives in Savoonga, a village of about 800 people on St Lawrence Island.
His older brother and cousin died in the incident, according to BBC . “That’s one tough kid,” White said. Kulowiyi said her sons had gone fishing to provide food for people in their community who do not always have access to meat at local stores. Kulowiyi said fishing and sharing food with the community is a tradition in their family. Describing him as “my survivor”, Kulowiyi said he remained calm during his ordeal and spent the time praying. The teenager’s mother has said that her son is now recovering at home.
