Coast Guard boatcrew rescues man from sinking homemade watercraft in Juneau, Alaska

News Release

June 8, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 17th District Alaska Contact: Petty Officer 2nd Class Meredith Manning  Office: (907) 428-4181 Cell: (907) 321-4513

 

A man paddles a homemade watercraft in the Gastineau channel, near Juneau, Alaska, June 7, 2017. A Coast Guard Station Juneau smallboat crew rescued a 32-year-old man after the craft began taking on water. U.S. Coast Guard photo

 

JUNEAU, Alaska - A Coast Guard Station Juneau smallboat crew rescued a 32-year-old man after his homemade water craft began taking on water in Gastineau channel near Juneau, Wednesday.

                

The station's 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew deemed the inflatable, duct taped craft unsafe and transferred the man, his dog and the craft to Douglas Harbor in Juneau.

 

Coast Guard Sector Juneau watchstanders received a report from Lt. Joseph Schlosser, an off-duty coastguardsman, that there was a man paddling a homemade watercraft in the Gastineau channel. Watchstanders diverted the station's RB-S which was underway in the area.

 

“I noticed the craft in the channel and I could tell the man was not wearing a life jacket and the craft was not safe,” said Schlosser. “I contacted the sector command center and the Station’s smallboat crew responded quickly and helped the man to safety.”

 

The man was reportedly trying to get to Point Bishop at the entrance of Taku Inlet and was not wearing a life jacket.

 

Weather on scene was reported as calm seas and nine mile per hour winds.