Coast Guard suspends search for man believed overboard from fishing vessel in Juneau

Update 11:30 a.m. Tuesday: The U.S. Coast Guard has called off its search for a Juneau man believed to have fallen off a fishing vessel in Auke Bay early Sunday.

Petty Officer John-Paul Rios said Tuesday that the Coast Guard suspended search operations for 26-year-old Arnold Skeek, thought to be overboard from the anchored fishing vessel Beaufort Sea, at about 1:30 p.m. Monday. The decision followed an intensive search operation involving the cutters Elderberry and Maple, several small boats and helicopter support plus other assets beyond the Coast Guard's.

"We had local agencies and we had some good Samaritans — with all that, the Coast Guard determined that they had saturated the area," Rios said.

No sign of Skeek was ever found during the search, Rios said. Skeek's next of kin have been notified.

Update 6 a.m. Tuesday: Juneau police have identified a man missing since Sunday and believed to be overboard from a fishing vessel, asking the public for information on his whereabouts.

The U.S. Coast Guard informed police Sunday that a search was in progress for 26-year-old Arnold Skeek, according to a police statement early Tuesday. Coast Guard officials said Monday that Skeek may have gone overboard from the Beaufort Sea, which was moored in Auke Bay.

"Mr. Skeek was last seen early Sunday morning sitting on a fishing vessel that was anchored just off the break wall," police wrote. "His personal items were located on board that vessel and his family has not heard from him."

Anyone with information on Skeek's location is asked to contact police at 907-586-0600.

Original story:

An overnight search for a man believed to have gone overboard in Juneau's Auke Bay on Sunday found no sign of him, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer John-Paul Rios said Monday morning that the man was reported missing at 11 a.m. Sunday by the crew of the fishing vessel Beaufort Sea, anchored in Auke Bay. His name hasn't been released by the Coast Guard.

"They went down to his stateroom where he sleeps — all his belongings are still there, so it's believed he was in the water," Rios said.

Two Coast Guard cutters, the Elderberry and the Maple, responded to the scene Sunday with helicopter support, Rios said. The Maple remained in the area Monday morning as an Air Station Sitka helicopter crew was slated to launch at first light.

More vessels were potentially available for the search, Rios said, due to this week's Buoy Tender Roundup Olympics being held in Juneau. The annual event sees Coast Guard buoy tender crews from as far away as Seattle, as well as crews from Canada's coast guard, competing in a series of seamanship tasks.

"The good thing is that we do have multiple assets in the area at this time," Rios said.