Fifteen-year-old Parker from Savoonga, Alaska, was rescued after clinging to an overturned 18-foot skiff in the Bering Sea following a halibut trip that began Sept. 4. The skiff capsized after a fishing line became tangled in the motor, and Parker's brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, 35, and cousin, Barton Rookok, 34, reportedly drowned. Rescuers located Parker about 62 hours later; the family says he survived the exposure largely through prayer. Authorities continue to investigate the incident while the community mourns the two lost.
Alaska Teen Survives About 62 Hours On Capsized Skiff; Family Credits Prayer
Alaska sea rescue
A 15-year-old boy from Savoonga, Alaska, was rescued after clinging to an overturned 18-foot skiff in the Bering Sea following a multi-day ordeal that family members say he survived through prayer.
According to local reports, the teenager, identified only as Parker, left on a halibut trip on Sept. 4 with his older brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, 35, and their cousin, Barton Rookok, 34. The men planned to return in the early hours of Sept. 6; when they did not come back, search-and-rescue operations were launched.
Rescuers said the skiff capsized after a fishing line became entangled in the outboard motor. Sidney Kulowiyi was reportedly caught in that line and was pulled beneath the vessel; the cousin also went missing and was later presumed drowned.
On the following Monday morning at about 10:30 a.m., the U.S. Coast Guard spotted Parker sitting on top of the overturned skiff in the Bering Sea and directed a nearby fishing vessel to recover him, officials said. The water temperature in the area was reported to be roughly 10°C (about 50°F).
Adam White, captain of the boat that recovered Parker, described the scene as "unbelievable" and noted Parker told rescuers, with "teeth chattering," that his brother was still beneath the skiff and that his cousin had slipped away from the top of the boat during the previous night.
Family members say Parker spent long stretches praying while exposed to cold, wind and waves. "In the middle of the night, with waves hitting him, he was kneeling and praying," said Darren Toolie-Noongwook, a surviving brother. "That's all he was doing was praying. He believed that he was gonna make it. That's how he got through it."
The boys' mother, Vina Kulowiyi, wrote on Facebook: "4 days and 3 nights. He lived on prayer with no food and water." Some accounts place Parker's time exposed on the overturned skiff at roughly 62 hours before rescue.
A GoFundMe set up by a relative described the family's grief: "My nephew and one of his crew members passed away doing what he loved, out in the Bering Sea. My other nephew was found alive. Our village is mourning the loss of two. My nephew tried to hang onto them as long as he could after they drowned." The fundraiser and community statements thanked search teams and local vessels for their efforts.
Authorities continue to investigate the capsizing and the exact sequence of events that led to the deaths of Sidney Kulowiyi and Barton Rookok. The family and community are mourning while expressing gratitude for Parker's rescue and for the rescuers involved.
What We Know: Parker was found alive atop the overturned skiff; two relatives died. Rescuers and family cite extreme cold and the boy's faith as central elements of the ordeal.
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