Legal news for Washington personal injury lawyers. Seattle-based fishing boat sinks in the Gulf of Alaska, one dead.
Washington personal injury lawyers alert- A Seattle-based fishing boat, Northern Belle, sank in the Gulf of Alaska; United State Coast Guard called for rescue.
Seattle, WA—The United States Coast Guard plucked three crew members and one body from the frigid Gulf of Alaska waters after a Seattle-based fishing vessel floundered. The 75-foot Northern Belle radioed for help around 5:30 p.m., on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, to alert rescue teams that the boat was sinking about 50 miles south of Montague Island, as reported by KIROTV.
Three men and one woman were left floating in the arctic waters for at least two hours before the Coast Guard was able to rescue them. One crew member died during the ordeal; the man reportedly sustained a traumatic brain injury while leaving the boat, but it is unknown if he died form the injury or hypothermia. The three crew members who survived were wearing survival suits, which allowed them to stay alive longer in the sub-zero waters.
A Coast Guard plane reportedly flew over the victims and dropped a life raft to them before a helicopter arrived to hoist them to safety. Three surviving victims are currently recovering from hypothermia and are in stable condition. The names of the victims are currently being withheld pending family notification. It is currently unknown what caused the boat to sink.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for Washington personal injury lawyers.
