Stranded Alaska Boaters Overjoyed as Coast Guard Helicopter Flies Overhead

Three missing boaters stranded in Alaska’s Hazen Bay jumped for joy at the sight of a Coast Guard helicopter on Friday, July 29.

According to information provided by the Coast Guard via DVIDS, the three men had departed Chevak, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 27, and were due in Newtok, Alaska, that same evening, but failed to show.

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak C-130 Hercules aircrew spotted the men ashore in Hazen Bay on Friday, waving a makeshift flag near a small craft with an outboard motor. The Coast Guard notified Alaska State Troopers of their location and airdropped a package containing a VHF handheld radio and government-issued field rations known as MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat).

The men were later rescued by an Alaska State Troopers search and rescue vessel. Credit: US Coast Guard via Storyful

Video transcript

[NO AUDIO]