Here are the latest updates:
Update 8:11 a.m. EST Jan. 2: The Coast Guard said two people were rescued early Wednesday from a life raft via helicopter hoist, but five crew members remained missing, according to KIRO.
The men who survived are age 34 and 38. They were believed to be on the raft for at least four hours before the rescue. The men said they were the only ones who survived, the Coast Guard said.
“When you’re out there in the Bering Sea in the winter time, when you’re working just hauling gear, you’re not getting shot at, but you’re dodging bullets,” said a man at Fisherman’s Terminal in Magnolia who knows the crew. “Every one of those waves out there could have your name on it.”
The rafts were about 10 miles from the last known location, which was 170 miles southwest of Air Station Kodiak, on Kodiak Island. Another empty raft was nearby.
"The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case is never easy, and it’s only made after careful consideration of a myriad of factors,” Rear Adm. Matthew Bell, 17th District Commander, said Wednesday night in a statement. “Our deepest condolences to the friends and families impacted by this tragedy.”
The search spanned over 20 hours and 1,400 square miles, officials said.
Original report: Coast Guard crews are searching for five crew members Wednesday after a crab boat sank near Sutwik Island, Alaska.
The Scandies Rose, a 130-foot vessel registered in Dutch Harbor, Washington, sank about 10 p.m. Tuesday after issuing a mayday call. The boat is owned by someone in Seattle.
According to the boat's Facebook page, some crew members appear to be from Seattle.
The Coast Guard says two people were rescued from a life raft via helicopter hoist, but five crew members remain missing. The boat’s last known location was 170 miles southwest of Air Station Kodiak, on Kodiak Island.
A Coast Guard cutter was diverted from the Bering Sea and is expected to arrive in the area Wednesday night.
Coast Guard officials said they are conducting an extensive search in a 300-square-mile area.
Weather in the area is in excess of 40 mph winds, 15-to-20-foot seas and 1-mile visibility.
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