Bering Sea fishing vessel fatality due to ammonia exposure, Coast Guard says

UNALASKA, Alaska (KTUU) - A crewmember died after being exposed to toxic levels of ammonia aboard a fishing boat in the Bering Sea, according to officials with the U.S. Coast Guard.

The man, who hasn’t been identified yet, was found unresponsive around 12:45 a.m. on Aug. 18 while working on the fishing vessel Northern Eagle in the Bering Sea. A Coast Guard spokesperson said the man was working “in a space of the vessel that had filled with dangerous levels of ammonia.”

Coast Guard responders received the call from the Northern Eagle around 4 a.m. on Friday — over three hours after the man was found — using mobile satellite communications. The vessel crew reported that they were already en route to Dutch Harbor in search of emergency care.

The boat reached Dutch Harbor at approximately 3 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, where the crewmember was treated by emergency personnel with the Unalaska Fire Department, but was ultimately pronounced dead later that morning, according to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard said a joint investigation is currently underway between Alaska State Troopers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Enforcement and Coast Guard teams.

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