Alaska

Coast Guard searching for 5 people after fishing boat capsized off Alaska coast

Published

1 year ago

December 2, 2024

Press Room

Coast Guard searching for 5 people after fishing boat capsized off Alaska coast

The Coast Guard said that the agency and good Samaritans were searching for multiple people who were aboard the fishing vessel Wind Walker when they overturned in cold waters off Point Couverden.

Multiple people are missing after a fishing boat capsized near Point Couverden, southwest of Alaska’s capital of Juneau, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday.

The Coast Guard announced that the agency and good Samaritans were searching for multiple people who were aboard the fishing vessel Wind Walker that overturned in cold waters off Point Couverden. Based on reports from those familiar with the vessel, the Coast Guard said there were an estimated five people aboard.

“This number has not been confirmed and is subject to change pending new information,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The agency said watchstanders from its southeast Alaska sector received a mayday call at around 12:10 a.m., local time, on Sunday from the roughly 50-foot-long vessel. The vessel’s crew reported that they were overturning and watchstanders attempted to gather more information but received no response, according to the Coast Guard.

An emergency position-indicating radio beacon that was registered to the vessel was also activated and showed that the distress signal originated just south of Point Couverden in the Icy Strait, the Coast Guard said.

Watchstanders then issued an urgent marine information broadcast, deploying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Sitka along with a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Station Juneau to search the area, according to the Coast Guard.

The ferry vessel AMHS also overheard the broadcast and arrived at the scene first, the Coast Guard said. Search crews later discovered seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights in the water.

The Coast Guard said it was searching in rough conditions, according to ABC News and Alaska’s News Source. Weather conditions in the area consisted of heavy snow, winds up to 45 to 60 mph, and 6-foot seas, the Coast Guard said.

Petty Officer John Hightower told Alaska’s News Source that search crews were using Coast Guard Cutter Healy — the largest and most technologically advanced polar icebreaker in the U.S. — as their main search platform.

On Sunday afternoon, the Coast Guard said that it was “aware of reports on social media claiming individuals from this incident have been located.”

“At this time, the (Coast Guard) has not confirmed these claims and is continuing search efforts,” the agency added.

Point Couverden is located on the southeastern end of Couverden Island, a small island in Haines Borough, Alaska.

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Alaska

‘Alaska is a dangerous place’: How Whittier Harbor stays safe during the winter

Published

19 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

‘Alaska is a dangerous place’: How Whittier Harbor stays safe during the winter

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Winter season brings its risks in harbors across Alaska – including sinking boats, ice, and wind.

“Alaska is a dangerous place,” David Borg, Whittier Harbor Master said. “Here we have massive amount of wind and coming down here in the wintertime with icy docks and a lot of wind, it’s very easy for people to lose their footing.”

Borg also talked about something called SAD – which stand for ‘Sunk At Dock’.

“Boat sinking at the dock. We do have an issue with snow load here,” Borg said. “Best thing people can do … is that if you have a boat in the harbor, you have to have somebody local that can keep an eye on it.”

At Whittier Harbor, safety holds importance all year round.

“If I can make it a little bit safer here in the harbor – so you and your family can go out and boat and do those things that Alaska has to offer safely – then I’d like to try to push that message as best I can,” Borg said

Borg urges anyone who visits Alaska harbors in the winter to know the conditions, gear up properly, and always put safety first.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

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Alaska

Alaska Airlines launches new nonstop Seattle-to-London flight starting in 2026

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Alaska Airlines launches new nonstop Seattle-to-London flight starting in 2026

Alaska Airlines announced its newest nonstop flight out of Seattle: a straight shot to London.

Starting in May 2026, the nonstop flight will travel from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Heathrow Airport, the largest international airport in the United Kingdom. The airport resides in Hounslow, located an hour outside of London.

The daily service will operate on Alaska Airlines’ 787 Dreamliner.

London is Alaska Airlines’ fifth intercontinental destination, alongside Rome, Reykjavik, Tokyo, and Seoul. According to the airline, the new route strengthens business ties, with London being the largest corporate market from Seattle.

“By 2030, we plan to serve at least 12 intercontinental destinations from Seattle, with additional routes to be announced in the years to come,” Alaska Airlines stated. “We currently have four Boeing 787-9s in our fleet, with a fifth aircraft recently delivered.”

Guests traveling from the U.S. can now purchase airfares to London for as low as $699 round-trip at alaskaair.com.

Alaska Airlines hit hard by federal shutdown

According to aviation analysts, the federal shutdown cost Alaska Airlines millions of dollars. The airline’s fourth-quarter income is expected to fall by $32 million.

The company told investors it lost 15 cents per share. Flight cancellations at SEA and other airports lasted 43 days.

According to The Puget Sound Business Journal, Delta reports a $200 million hit. United, JetBlue, and Southwest could see losses, too.

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.

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Alaska

Warnings continue for wind, snow, and extreme cold across Alaska

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Warnings continue for wind, snow, and extreme cold across Alaska

ANCHORAGE, AK (Alaska’s News Source) – Extreme wind has been non-stop for more than 60 hours in Wasilla in Palmer, where peak wind gusts have reached over 80 mph three days in a row.

Peak winds have been over 80 mph for the last three days in Palmer.(Melissa Frey)

Wind gusts at the Palmer Airport climbed over 50 mph Friday evening and didn’t drop below until late Monday evening.

Peak winds have been over 50 mph for more than 60 hours.(Melissa Frey)

The High Wind Warning for the Matanuska Valley will continue through 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Calmer conditions are likely on Tuesday afternoon as the winds relax across the area.

High Wind Warnings continue in the Mat-Su.(Melissa Frey)

Send us your weather photos and videos here!

The rest of Southcentral remains clear and dry, with temperatures likely dropping to the lowest levels of the season starting Tuesday morning. This pattern will continue through the end of the week.

Download the free Alaska’s News Source Weather App for the latest forecast in your area.

In Southeast, Winter Storm Warnings are still in effect near Ketchikan for up to 8″ of additional snow through Tuesday. Winter Weather Advisories are also in effect near Hyder for an additional 9-12″ of snow on Tuesday.

The snow has ended across the northern areas of Southeast, but extreme cold is setting in. Wind Chill values will reach as low as -50° near Skagway, to -25° near Haines, and to -15° near Juneau.

The Copper River Basin will also experience extreme wind chill values to -50° through Tuesday afternoon.

In the Interior, temperatures dropped to -30° for the first time Monday morning, and we’ll see several nights at that cold level this week.

24/7 Alaska Weather: Get access to live radar, satellite, weather cameras, current conditions, and the latest weather forecast here. Also available through the Alaska’s News Source streaming app available on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

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