A teen boy is opening up about surviving three days at sea. A 15-year-old had to brave the harsh elements before finally being rescued.
On September 4, Derek Parker Aghnaanga went fishing with his cousin and brother near St. Lawrence Island. Sadly, their boat capsized after drifting into the Bering Sea. His brother and cousin both died.
"Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff and then he said that in the previous night before our rescue that his cousin had slipped away off the top of the skiff," Adam White, captain of the Northwest Explorer, told Alaska's News Source. The teen survived by clinging to the capsized boat.
Fortunately, he was rescued after several days.
Teen Survives
"We saw the unusual object on the horizon. We blasted our horn a couple times," White said. White was amazed at the teen's survival. He said that he can't believe that the boy survived the elements.
"It's unbelievable. It's remarkable, and it's cold. The water is 10 degrees Celsius," White added.
The Northwest Explorer managed to get the teen on board. It's likely he wouldn't have survived much longer. The teen was suffering from hypothermia. Crew members kept him warm with blankets and took him home to reunite with his family. Sadly, both his brother, 35-year-old Sidney Kulowiyi, and cousin, Barton Rookok, 34, died before rescue.
According to the teen, both slipped and fell off the capsized boat while waiting for help. Sidney became trapped under the boat. The small skiff had overturned while the three were fishing. The teen survived the cold without food or water for days.
"Saturday, all the way to Tuesday, that kid was on top of that skiff. I mean, that's one tough kid," White said. Out of the tragedy comes the miracle for his survival.
