Boy, 15, found clinging to capsized boat off Alaska after surviving for days at sea

A 15-year-old boy survived on top of an overturned boat in Alaska's Bering Sea for around two days, having lost his older brother and then his cousin after the skiff capsized.

The three set sail on Friday morning to catch halibut, but the US Coast Guard began a search effort when they failed to return on Sunday to Savoonga, a small village in the north of St Lawrence Island.

Derek Parker Aghnaanga was hoisted to safety by a fishing boat near the Alaskan island. He was found at around 10.30am on Monday, petty officer third class Nathan Bishop said.

The bodies of his cousin and brother were also recovered.

The cousin had clung on to the overturned boat, but died before rescuers arrived, Aghnaanga said.

Video of the rescue showed the teenager in a bright yellow jacket kneeling upon the overturned skiff. The boat's crew threw him a line, tugging the vessel closer until they were able to pull him into a rescue basket.

The teenager clung to the skiff in the darkness, with water temperatures of around 10C, according to the captain of the fishing boat that came to his aid.

"That's one tough kid," said captain Adam White of the Northwest Explorer, speaking to KTUU-TV in Anchorage.

"Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff," White said.

Aghnaanga also told him his cousin had "slipped away" the previous night.

Coast Guard planes and helicopters began searching for the boat on Monday morning after family members reported the trio missing the night before.

Their skiff capsized on Saturday night far out into the ocean, Collen Walker, an aunt of the two brothers, was told.

The three were set to return at around 3am on Sunday, the Coast Guard said.

The service said one of its air crews spotted the boy on Monday morning and deployed a raft and supplies before contacting the Northwest Explorer.

Aghnaanga's mother, Vina Kulowiyi, was listening to a radio transmission of the rescue on Monday while other family members huddled around a speakerphone, Walker said.

"We all cried and jumped for joy when the captain announced on the radio, 'We found a kid, he's alive, he's alive,'" she said.

"Then we asked, 'Where's the rest of them?'"

Aghnaanga was experiencing symptoms of hypothermia when he was pulled on to the boat, the Coast Guard said.

The fishing boat crew warmed him with blankets and hot packs, its captain said.

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Kulowiyi spoke of her relief following the ordeal.

"My survivor. His story is amazing. He was never afraid the whole time," she wrote in a Facebook post.

"He knew he would be OK knowing his big brother was under the boat.

"He lived on prayer with no food and water. Love you son."

Halibut fishing is important to survival in the village, where there are about 800 residents and jobs are scarce, Walker said.

Aghnaanga often went fishing with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and looked to him as a father figure ever since their dad died, she added.

She described Kulowiyi, a commercial fishing captain, as a humble and loving "provider for people in the village".

Walker didn't want to release the name of their cousin who died, but said he also came from Savoonga.

(c) Sky News 2026: Boy, 15, found clinging to capsized boat off Alaska after surviving for days at sea