A 15-year-old boy was rescued after the boat he was on capsized in the cold waters of Alaska, leaving him stranded at sea for several days while his older brother and cousin died.
Foreign news agencies reported on 12 Sep 2026 that a 15-year-old boy named Derek Parker Akhnaga was safely rescued after the boat he was on capsized in the cold Bering Sea waters off Alaska, USA, forcing him to remain on the overturned boat for several days.
Akhnaga's family confirmed that the 15-year-old was the only survivor from the boat, having lost his older brother and cousin in the incident.
The U.S. Coast Guard stated that the three had set out on an 18-foot fishing boat from Saint Lawrence Island on Friday, 4 Sep, with plans to return by Sunday afternoon, but when the boat failed to return, a search operation was launched.
On Monday morning (7 Sep), the Coast Guard's air search team found the boy sitting on the overturned hull. Nearby civilian vessels then rescued him safely, despite his hypothermic condition, and recovered the bodies of his two relatives.
Rear Admiral Bob Little, commander of the Arctic Coast Guard District, expressed deepest condolences to the families, friends, and communities affected by this loss.
Adam White, the fishing boat captain who helped with the rescue, told local KTUU-TV that the boy clung to the boat through the darkness and water temperatures around 10 degrees Celsius. “This kid is incredibly tough,” he said, adding that the boy reported his brother was still trapped beneath the boat while his cousin had gone missing the night before.
The boy's mother posted on Facebook that the fishing boat capsized on Saturday (5 Sep), leaving her son stranded at sea without food or water for two days. She added that her children were doing what they love—fishing to share with the Savoonga community, which often lacks access to meat in local stores.
“My children were raised to support the family and community; it is a tradition passed down,” she said, revealing that her surviving son is now recovering at home. “His story is remarkable; he never panicked and kept praying throughout the ordeal.”
Source:bbc