# Three days on an overturned skiff in the Bering Sea

> A 15-year-old from Savoonga held on to a capsized boat for two nights, and lost his brother and cousin to the water.
- Title: Three days on an overturned skiff in the Bering Sea · Fox News
- Summary: A 15-year-old from Savoonga held on to a capsized boat for two nights, and lost his brother and cousin to the water. Derek Parker Aghnaanga survived nearly…
- Keywords: alaska, coast guard, survival, bering sea, fishing, news, politics, Three, days, overturned, skiff, Bering
- Source: Fox News — https://foxnews.com/us/alaska-teen-rescued-after-3-days-frigid-waters-reveals-tragic-end-2-family-members
- Author: Bradford Betz
- Published: 2026-09-14T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: alaska, coast guard, survival, bering sea, fishing, news, politics
## A boy on a capsized hull
Derek Parker Aghnaanga, 15, was spotted Monday morning kneeling on an overturned skiff about four miles east of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea.
## What he told his rescuers
Shivering, Aghnaanga said his 35-year-old brother Sidney Kulowiyi was still under the skiff, and that his cousin had slipped away the night before the rescue.

> Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff.
## He held on to them
A GoFundMe page set up by relatives says Aghnaanga tried to keep hold of his brother and cousin after they died, until their bodies were recovered.
## Flares led the boat in
A Coast Guard HC-130 crew from Air Station Kodiak found him, dropped a survival raft and gear, then fired flares to guide the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer to the spot.
## Warmed up and taken to Nome
Aghnaanga had symptoms of hypothermia. The crew wrapped him in blankets and used hot packs while the vessel carried him to Nome.
## A village of 800 grieves
The three left Savoonga on Friday and were due back Sunday. Kulowiyi, a commercial fishing captain and father, was a provider for the village. No cause for the capsizing has been given.

> We all cried and jumped for joy when the captain announced on the radio, 'We found a kid, he's alive, he's alive.'
## Key takeaway

Derek Parker Aghnaanga survived nearly three days on an overturned skiff, but his brother and cousin did not make it home to Savoonga.