The Coast Guard is searching for a man who fell overboard approximately 7 miles west of Nome.
The man was last seen sinking below the surface by the crew aboard his fishing vessel Juda Lee. An Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew was launched out of Kotzebue to search for the man who reportedly entered the water without a life jacket.
The Coast Guard received the initial report at about 10:45 a.m. from Alaska State Troopers that the man, who was not identified, fell overboard, and that the Juda Lee crew’s attempts to recover him had not been successful.
Several Coast Guard helicopter crews have been on scene searching, since about 1:50 p.m.
“Cold water is completely unforgiving,” said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Seth Caron from the District 17 command center. “When a person goes into cold water with no life jacket, our chances of finding them alive are vastly diminished.”
Conditions in the area included 20 mph winds, 5-foot seas, an air temperature of 32 degrees and a water temperature of 43 degrees.