Coast Guard, Kake SAR assist stranded vessel near Kake, Alaska
Crews from the Coast Guard Cutter John McCormick and Kake Search and Rescue assisted the crew of the 36-foot vessel Viking Queen after it became stranded in Elena Bay, 50 miles southwest of Kake, Sunday, the USCG press release said.
A small boat crew from the John McCormick towed the Viking Queen into deeper water before transferring the tow to the cutter. The crew of the John McCormick later passed the tow to a Kake SAR crew for transit to a Kake pier.
Coast Guard Sector Juneau watchstanders received a call from the crew of the Viking Queen via VHF-FM radio channel 16 reporting the vessel was disabled and at anchor with four people aboard with life jackets, survival suits, additional supplies and no medical concerns. Watchstanders diverted the crew of the John McCormick and contacted Kake SAR.
“The crew of the Viking Queen was well prepared and able to reach out for assistance,” said Lt. j.g. Collin McClelland, a Sector Juneau watchstander. “We greatly appreciate the expert knowledge and assistance Kake SAR brought to the table in getting the vessel back to Kake.”
Weather on scene was reported as 11.5-mph winds and 2-foot seas.
2017 marks the 150th anniversary of the Coast Guard’s presence in Alaska. On August 12, 1867 the Revenue Cutter Lincoln transported the first federal officials to Sitka for the formal transfer of proprietorship from Russia on October 18, 1867. Since then, the Coast Guard’s duty to protect the people and waters of Alaska and the Arctic has grown alongside the 49th state’s ever-increasing role in American commerce, Arctic exploration and national sovereignty.
