 Fisherman rescues skipper, three teens August 07, 2004
The Coast Guard received notification at 1:57 a.m. Friay that the Mitkof struck a rock and began flooding. Search and rescue coordinators at the Coast Guard Command Center in Juneau directed the launch of an Jayhawk helicopter and crew from Air Station Sitka and a small boat from the Petersburg-based cutter Anacapa. Additionally, they issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) to any nearby mariners requesting their response to assist the Mitkof and its crew. Inside of a few minutes the Mitkof sank. However, the four people on board; master Arne Fuglvog, 41; crewmembers Cub (16) and Brannon Finney (18) and Caleb Caulem (17); were safe Friday after Rocky Littleton aboard the Good Samaritan vessel Angjenl - a 42-foot fishing vessel from Petersburg - rescued the group from the water. Littleton heard the UMIB and responded. The Jayhawk crew stood down and the Anacapa small boat proceeded to the scene to look for pollution and debris. After a thorough inspection of the area they returned to Petersburg. The Mitkof is an 75-foot salmon tender. It sank in about 300 feet of water. Coast Guard responders found no evidence of pollution from the vessel that contained 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel on board when it sank. Officials from Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Juneau are investigating the incident.
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