Fishing Boat Sinks; 3 Rescued, 1 Missing

A Coast Guard helicopter plucked two brothers and another fisherman from the icy waters of the Gulf of Alaska after their fishing boat sank, and searchers were scanning the dark, wind-swept waves for a third brother. A distress beacon from the 52-foot Becca Dawn was picked up by the Coast Guard stations in Juneau and Sitka, Alaska, said Petty Officer Roger Wetherell. The vessel went down in the Fairweather Grounds, a fishing area known for its fierce storms. About 80 minutes later, a helicopter found Lee Nash, 25, Song Nash, 26, and Jesse McGraw, 23, in the water, all wearing survival suits, Wetherell said. “Three of them were clinging together; the boat was gone,” Wetherell said. “There was just a huge debris field.” Olin Nash, 21, was also wearing a survival suit, his brothers told the Coast Guard, but he became separated from the rest as the crew abandoned the boat. Rescuers hope he managed to launch the Becca Dawn’s life raft and remains adrift somewhere.