How Did a 15-Year-Old Boy Survive Three Days Lost at Sea?

A 15-year-old boy in Alaska survived nearly three days exposed on top of an overturned fishing boat in the freezing Bering Sea after the vessel capsized near St. Lawrence Island. Derek Parker Aghnaanga was fishing for halibut with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and his 34-year-old cousin, Barton Rookok, when their skiff flipped. Rescuers found Aghnaanga clinging to the overturned boat; the other two family members died, and the Coast Guard later recovered their bodies. During about 62 hours without food or water, he showed symptoms of hypothermia. The Coast Guard spotted him from the air and the fishing vessel Northwest Explorer helped bring him aboard, where the crew warmed him and assisted the trip toward Nome.