UPDATE, December 10, 2024
The bodies of two crew members believed to be from the seiner Wind Walker were found on a beach near Hoonah on Monday (12-9-24).
Alaska Wildlife Troopers from Juneau and Hoonah responded to a call that human remains were located in Spasski Bay, about four miles east of Hoonah. Two bodies were recovered and flown to Juneau aboard an Alaska National Guard helicopter. Both were subsequently transported to the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for positive identification.
The bodies were found among debris from the Wind Walker, a 52-foot seiner which capsized early last Sunday morning (12-1-24) just off Point Couverden with five crew aboard.
The discovery of the bodies prompted a renewed search of the area around Spasski Bay. The National Guard helicopter flew in NOAA law enforcement officers and a SEADOGS K9 team to assist troopers in the search. Teams covered five miles of shoreline on foot, with support from a trooper patrol boat. No other victims were found.
The Wind Walker was home-ported in Sitka, and it was previously based in Petersburg under a different owner. Around 80 Sitkans gathered over the weekend for a memorial vigil in honor of the crew – and for others lost at sea over the past year.
Original Report
The names of five missing fishermen in a Sunday boat accident near Hoonah have been released by the U.S. Coast Guard.
A Coast Guard public information officer confirmed the names of the missing Wednesday morning (12-4-24): Travis Kapp, Jacob Hannah, Alex Ireland, Emilio Celaya-Talamantez and Michael Brown were aboard the Wind Walker, a 52-foot Sitka-based seiner when it capsized near Point Couverden. The ages and hometowns of the victims were not released, but the Coast Guard official confirmed that next of kin have been notified.
After more than 24 hours of searching over 100 nautical miles, the Coast Guard found no signs of the missing mariners, except for seven empty survival suits and two strobe lights. They called off the search on Monday (12-2-24) afternoon pending new information. Anyone with new information about this situation is requested to contact Coast Guard headquarters in Juneau at 907-463-2980.
