Five Rescued From Fishing Boat Near Petersburg, Alaska

Five crewmen from the 34-foot fishing vessel SANDY M have been rescued from their sinking boat by the Coast Guard. The crew issued a mayday call saying they were abandoning ship at about 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Coast Guard helicopters were able to reach the men within 40 minutes, and began lifting them to safety. Three of the crewmen were able to get into the vessel’s life raft, but the other two crewmen were rescued from the water. All five crewmen were taken to Sitka for emergency medical treatment. Weather at the time of the accident was reported at 40 miles per hour winds with seas in the 6 to 8 foot range. The cause of the accident is under investigation.