Boat Capsized in Alaska: Five people are reportedly missing after a fishing boat capsized in heavy snow and wind in Alaska

CNN
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Five people were reported missing from a fishing boat that capsized in rough waters off the coast of southeast Alaska, officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call at 12:10 a.m. Sunday from the crew aboard the 50-foot vessel saying it was overturning, the guard said in a news release.

The Coast Guard requested additional information but received no response, the release said.

People familiar with the Wind Walker ship said there were five people on board, but the number was not confirmed and could change, the Coast Guard said.

The statement also said a distress call using a positioning beacon located the ship south of Point Couverden, near Juneau in the Icy Strait.

The Coast Guard deployed both air and sea response teams to support the search mission – launching an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and a 45-foot response boat, according to the release.

The ferry AMHS Hubbard heard an urgent message from the Coast Guard and arrived first on the scene, officials said.

Seven cold-water diving suits and two strobe lights were found in the waters of the search area, where responders faced six-foot waves, heavy snow and wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour, the Coast Guard said.

The National Weather Service issued a small craft advisory for the Couverden Point area until midnight Sunday. It warned that wind gusts could still blow over 50 miles per hour and cause choppy waves.

The strong winds combined with heavy snow could reduce visibility to a mile or less, the service warned.

Winter storm warnings for the area remain in effect until 3 a.m. Monday, with additional snowfall of 5 to 8 inches possible. Temperatures will rise above freezing on Monday, allowing the heavy snowfall to transition to a rain-snow mix before switching to just rain on Tuesday.