Alaska Teen Survives 62 Hours at Sea — Then Reveals What Happened to His Brother and Cousin

Fifteen-year-old Derek Parker Aghnaanga sitting on top of a capsized vessel while being towed to safety during a rescue operation off St. Lawrence Island, Alaska.via REUTERS

A 15-year-old Alaska boy survived nearly three days stranded on an overturned boat in the frigid Bering Sea before rescuers finally spotted him — but the first details he shared after being pulled to safety revealed the devastating ordeal he had endured.

Derek Parker Aghnaanga had been fishing for halibut with his older brother and cousin near St. Lawrence Island when their small skiff capsized on Sept. 4 and drifted out into the Bering Sea.

For approximately 62 hours, the teenager clung to the overturned vessel without food or water as conditions grew increasingly dangerous.

He would ultimately be the only one of the three to make it back alive.

A remarkable discovery in the Bering Sea

Aghnaanga (right) watched his brother get stuck under the skiff and his cousin slip away during the three-day ordeal in the Bering Sea.GoFundMe

Alaska State Troopers notified the Coast Guard after the fishing party failed to return home. At around 10:30 a.m. Monday, rescuers spotted Aghnaanga still holding onto the overturned skiff.

The Coast Guard then asked the nearby fishing vessel Northwest Explorer, which had 13 crew members aboard, to assist.

Captain Adam White recalled noticing something unusual on the horizon before the crew realized there was a person sitting on top of the capsized boat.

Rescue footage captured the extraordinary moment the vessel approached and the figure of the teenager became visible.

White described his survival as remarkable given the conditions, noting that the water temperature was approximately 10 degrees Celsius.

Teen’s first words revealed what happened during the ordeal

The Alaskan teen was rescued after 3 days on a capsized boat, revealing his brother and cousin died.Facebook/@vina.kulowiyi

By the time Aghnaanga was brought aboard the Northwest Explorer, he was showing symptoms of hypothermia. Crew members wrapped him in blankets and kept him talking as they headed toward Nome, where he could be reunited with his family.

It was during those first moments of safety that the teenager began describing what had happened to the two relatives who had been with him.

“Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff,” White recalled.

The teenager then told rescuers that his cousin had slipped away from the top of the overturned boat the night before the rescue.

Aghnaanga’s older brother, 35-year-old Sidney Kulowiyi, had been captaining the boat. His cousin, Barton Rookok, was 34.

A family member said Aghnaanga had remained on the overturned vessel as both men were lost during the ordeal.

His mother said Kulowiyi became trapped beneath the boat, leaving the teenager to continue holding on alone.

Nearly three days without food or water

Aghnaanga had been fishing for halibut along with his cousin and brother when their small skiff overturned.Carlos Alexis Escartin via AP

Aghnaanga remained exposed to the elements for days with no food or drinking water, refusing to let go of the skiff that had become his only means of survival.

White said the crew was stunned that the teenager had managed to endure the conditions for so long.

“That’s one tough kid,” the captain said.

Once aboard the Northwest Explorer, the crew focused on keeping Aghnaanga warm, conscious and talking while transporting him toward Nome.

The rescue ended an intensive search but also confirmed the loss of the two other members of the fishing party.

A fundraising campaign was later established to help Aghnaanga’s family and cover funeral expenses for his brother and cousin, with donations nearing its $40,000 goal at the time of the report.

After 62 hours alone on the overturned skiff, Aghnaanga returned to his family as the sole survivor of a fishing trip that had begun with three relatives setting out together.