Crewman Swept Overboard in Rescue Attempt in Bering Sea
A crewman was swept overboard Tuesday from a ship searching for survivors of an explosion and fire on a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea, and became the third person missing in the frigid water.
The man was aboard the Clipper Express, a 138-foot Seattle-based vessel that on Sunday had rescued two people swimming in survival suits after they abandoned a burning fishing vessel.
The Clipper Express was holding its position Tuesday, attempting to ride out 30-foot seas and winds close to 60 mph , when the crewman was lost, said a Coast Guard spokesman.
He said the Clipper Express crewman was not wearing a life jacket or a survival suit. He was identified as Daniel Schmiedt of Arlington, Wash. A Coast Guard rescue helicopter and a C-130 aircraft were searching for him.
One man was killed and two were lost after the explosion aboard the Galaxy, a 180-foot Seattle-based vessel used to catch Pacific cod.
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