Coast Guard and good Samaritans are searching for five people missing after the presumed capsizing of the fishing vessel Wind Walker, based out of Sitka. The most recent Wind Walker’s vessel registration shows Carmen (and/or Dale) Bartelds of Sitka as the owner; however we have learned the vessel was sold in 2023 to Travis Kapp, dba Mermaid Fisheries, LLC.
At 12:10 a.m. on Sunday the crew called in a mayday to the Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska watchstanders, saying they were “overturning.” The Coast Guard attempted to gather more information but was not successful in getting a response. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter out of Sitka, and a Juneau-based search boat headed to the scene.
The search area is around Pt. Couverden near Hoonah, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The last-known sighting was west of Rocky Island, about 15 miles west of Juneau, around Icy Strait/Chatham Strait.
Coast Guard vessels and the state ferry M/V Hubbard, which was first on the scene, are involved in the search for the 50-foot-long seiner.
Five people were thought to be on board based on “reports from individuals familiar with those aboard the vessel,” the Coast Guard said in a press release. Searchers reportedly have found seven cold-water survival gear and other emergency items. No people had been located as of Sunday afternoon.
Weather in the area included heavy snow and winds between 45-60 mph, with 6-foot seas.
