Teen survives two days at sea

Derek Parker Aghnaanga, 15, spent 62 hours stranded on an overturned fishing boat in Alaska's Bering Sea after it capsized near St. Lawrence Island on September 4.

Fishing trip turns to disaster

Aghnaanga headed out from Savoonga with his older brother Sidney Kulowiyi, 35, and cousin Barton Rookok, 34, to fish for halibut. A tangled fishing line may have caused the skiff to overturn.

Brother trapped under the boat

Sidney Kulowiyi, who was captaining the vessel, became trapped underneath the overturned skiff and drowned. His younger brother Derek was suddenly fighting for survival.

Cousin survives one more day

Barton Rookok initially survived the capsize and stayed with Derek for about another day. But he eventually became distressed, entered the water, and also died.

Alone on the overturned hull

Derek was suddenly the only survivor, kneeling on the tiny overturned hull surrounded by miles of open ocean with no food or water.

He tried to hold on to them

Derek desperately tried to hold onto his brother and cousin after they drowned, his aunt revealed. He 'tried to hang on as long as he could' before they slipped away.

“He 'tried to hang on as long as he could after they drowned'”

Prayer sustained him through ordeal

Derek's mother said her son survived by turning to his faith. 'He lived on prayer with no food and water. He said he sat like this praying the whole time,' she wrote on Facebook.

“'He lived on prayer with no food and water'”

Family waits for their return

The fishing party was expected to return home by early Sunday morning. When they failed to appear, Alaska State Troopers alerted the US Coast Guard around 8:30 p.m. that night.

Coast Guard spots yellow jacket

At around 10:30 a.m. on September 7, a Coast Guard aircrew spotted Derek wearing a bright yellow jacket and kneeling on top of the overturned skiff.

Fishing vessel comes to rescue

The Coast Guard called on the Northwest Explorer, a nearby fishing vessel with 13 crew members and NOAA scientists aboard, to help bring Derek to safety.

Crew throws him a line

Crew members threw Derek a line and gradually pulled the overturned boat closer. They maneuvered the exhausted teenager into a rescue basket and lifted him to safety.

One tough kid, captain says

Northwest Explorer captain Adam White was struck by Derek's resilience. 'I mean, that's one tough kid,' White said after pulling him aboard.

“'I mean, that's one tough kid'”

Through chattering teeth, he tells them

Even as rescuers celebrated finding him alive, Derek told them through chattering teeth that his brother was still beneath the skiff and revealed what happened to his cousin.

Hypothermia sets in

Derek was suffering symptoms of hypothermia after his ordeal. Crew members wrapped him in blankets, placed hot packs around him, and kept him talking as they headed toward Nome.

Captain overwhelmed by emotion

Captain White was deeply affected by the rescue. 'When you look into a family member's eyes, there's gratitude, but sorrow at the same time. I became overwhelmed with it,' he said.

“'When you look into a family member's eyes... there's gratitude, but sorrow at the same time'”

Family celebrates then grieves

Relatives anxiously followed radio transmissions from the rescue. 'We all cried and jumped for joy when the captain announced, We found a kid, he's alive,' his aunt recalled. Then they asked, 'Where's the rest of them?'

“'We all cried and jumped for joy when the captain announced on the radio, We found a kid, he's alive'”

Bodies recovered, search ends

The Northwest Explorer later recovered the bodies of Sidney Kulowiyi and Barton Rookok, bringing a devastating end to the search for the other two fishermen.

Brother was a father figure

Sidney Kulowiyi had become something of a father figure to Derek after their own father died when they were younger. Sidney was a commercial fishing captain and provider for the village.

Community bonds run deep

Fishing is vital to Savoonga, a community of roughly 800 people where catches are routinely shared with relatives and neighbors. 'That's how we do it in our community. We take care of one another,' his aunt said.

“'That's how we do it in our community. We take care of one another'”

GoFundMe raises $48,000

A GoFundMe created for Derek and his family has raised $48,000 to help cover funeral expenses and support the family as the teenage survivor recovers from his ordeal.