Coast Guard suspends search for 3 missing boaters near Seward

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for three missing people Thursday morning after a boat capsized near Seward. A good Samaritan rescued another person who was found unconscious in the water, the agency said.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of this tragedy,” Commander Chris Svencer, the search mission coordinator, said in a statement.

Coast Guard personnel received a distress call Wednesday morning from the boat, a 21-foot Hewescraft. The boat had four people on board and they reported it taking on water in the Aialik Bay area near Seward, according to the Coast Guard statement.

The Coast Guard dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Kodiak to the scene, Lt. Commander Mike Salerno said in a prepared statement. It arrived about 9:50 a.m. Wednesday.

“They located the capsized vessel and a nearby Good Samaritan also arrived at the scene and recovered an unconscious person with no signs of life from the water,” he said.

The Good Samaritan vessel Skana transported the person to Seward, where he was taken to the emergency room. The Coast Guard also dispatched an HC-130 Hercules aircraft and the U.S. Coast Guard vessel Naushon to the scene to search for the remaining individuals.

Salerno said the condition of the person found was unknown Thursday afternoon, and he could not immediately say why the search for the other boaters was called off.

In its statement, the Coast Guard said crews searched approximately 95 square miles for a total of nine hours. During the incident, winds reached 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph, 12-foot waves and visibility of 10 miles were present.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.