5 People Missing After Fishing Boat Capsizes in Icy Seas Near Alaska

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for five people in freezing waters near Alaska.

The crew of the 50-foot Wind Walker sent out a mayday call saying “they were overturning” at 12:10 a.m. near Couverden Point, Alaska on Sunday, Dec. 1, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska stated in a release.

Despite the best efforts of the Coast Guard, the crew then stopped responding, the release added.

The incident occurred under local weather conditions of heavy snow, gusts of up to 60 mph and 6-foot high seas, according to the Coast Guard. 

Five people were indicated to be on the vessel by “individuals familiar with those aboard,” per the release.

“The watchstanders attempted to gather additional information but received no response,” the U.S. Coast Guard said. They added that an “emergency position-indicating radio beacon alert” had pinpointed the ship “just south of Point Couverden in Icy Strait.”

According to the release, the search to find the missing crew members is being carried out by Sector Southeast Alaska watchstanders, Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB-20) and Coast Guard Station Juneau, along with a helicopter aircrew and a boat response crew. 

The ferry vessel AMHS Hubbard was the first to arrive and assist on the scene, per the release. 

So far, seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights have been found in the waters around the vessel’s last known location, according to the Coast Guard. 

Up until midnight on Sunday, Dec. 1, the National Weather Service issued a weather warning of winds reaching over 50 mph causing choppy waves in the Couverden Point area, CNN reported. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

In an update shared on the Alaskan Coast Guard’s account on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Dec. 1, the authorities wrote: “We are continuing to search for the missing persons near Couverden Pt. USCGC Healy is on scene, and USCGC Douglas Denman is en route to assist. At this time, none of the missing persons have been located.”

The U.S. Coast Guard is asking anyone with information about the incident to reach out to Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska at 907-463-2980.