# Teen survives 62 hours alone at sea in Alaska > A 15-year-old boy clung to an overturned boat in the Bering Sea after his brother and cousin drowned, sustained only by prayer. - Title: Teen survives 62 hours alone at sea in Alaska · Dailymail - Summary: A 15-year-old boy clung to an overturned boat in the Bering Sea after his brother and cousin drowned, sustained only by prayer. Derek Parker Aghnaanga… - Keywords: derek parker aghnaanga, alaska, bering sea, st. lawrence island, savoonga, fishing accident, survival, coast guard rescue, sidney kulowiyi, barton rookok, hypothermia, halibut fishing - Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16133151/Alaska-teens-desperate-tale-survival-two-days-stranded-sea-family-reveals-chilling-new-details-relatives-lost.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss - Published: 2026-09-16T05:31:37+00:00 - Read time: 4 min - Topics: derek parker aghnaanga, alaska, bering sea, st. lawrence island, savoonga, fishing accident, survival, coast guard rescue, sidney kulowiyi, barton rookok, hypothermia, halibut fishing ## 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. ## Key takeaway Derek Parker Aghnaanga survived two days stranded at sea by staying on the capsized hull and praying, while his brother and cousin died in the freezing water.