Coast Guard rescues 2 sailors, 1 dog from vessel with help of AMHS ferry

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - Members of the Coast Guard station located in Juneau and the crews of Alaska Marine Highway System vessel M/V LeConte assisted in the rescue of two people and a dog from a disabled vessel Saturday night, according to reports.

According to the Coast Guard, the Juneau command center received a call around 8 p.m. on Saturday night from sailors reporting their 38-foot long fishing boat named Solstraal was in distress. A boat crew was dispatched to the vessel’s location and an urgent marine information broadcast was made to alert nearby mariners.

One of the vessels that responded to the broadcast was Alaska Marine Highway System ferry M/V LeConte. The ferry located the Solstraal and remained with it until Coast Guard crews arrived at the scene. Coast Guard crews then towed the disabled boat some 25 nautical miles from its location to Auke Bay, arriving at Juneau’s Statter Harbor around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Despite low visibility, winds up to 15 mph and air temperatures that hovered just above freezing, the boat and its occupants were recovered safely.

“The quick response from the Station Juneau boat crew, and their exceptional skill during the tow, helped these mariners get to safety before the weather got worse,” Sector Juneau command duty officer Lt. j.g. Trevor Layman said. “Thankfully the two people onboard and the dog made it out okay, and the fact that the LeConte was ready to assist made a huge difference in the outcome of this rescue.”

The M/V LeConte is 235 feet long and 57 feet wide and designed to carry 225 passengers.

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