Coast Guard says Alaska charter boat likely capsized last year after flooding, killing 5

SITKA, Alaska (AP) — A fishing charter boat found partially submerged off an island in southeast Alaska last May likely capsized after its well deck flooded in rough seas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which investigated the incident that left five people dead, including two vacationing sisters and their partners.

More than 100 people attended the Coast Guard’s town hall-style presentation in Sitka last week on the findings of its investigation, the Daily Sitka Sentinel reported.

Investigators said survival options were limited once the 30-foot (9-meter) boat, Awakin, capsized on May 28, 2023; the vessel was not required to carry an emergency raft. The boat, which was found off Low Island, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Sitka, had minimal provisions for draining water from the well deck, the Coast Guard’s lead investigator, Cmdr. Nate Menefee, said.