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The Coast Guard reports that a total of eight people are safe, with no injuries reported, after two separate sinkings in Southeast Wednesday.
The first happened around midnight near Lung Island, southwest of Petersburg and west of Wrangell.
Coast Guard spokesman Jonathan Klingenberg says the 75-foot tender Pacific Queen began quickly taking on water.
He says the skipper and crewmembers abandoned ship and escaped in a life raft.
The Coast Guard dispatched an H-60 helicopter from Sitka to help. But the three on board were picked by the fishing vessel Windham Bay and taken to Petersburg.
Pacific Queen was tendering for SeaLevel Seafoods, based in Wrangell.
The company was contacted and said it is not going to comment on the sinking at this time.
The second incident happened about 4:30 yesterday morning when the 56-foot seiner Coral Sea ran aground near Dall Island, on the outer coast of southern Prince of Wales island.
Five people on that vessel abandoned ship into a life raft and were picked up by the fishing vessel Time Bandit. You might recognize that name from the reality TV show, “Deadliest Catch.”
The Coral Sea is only partially underwater. Pacific Queen is completely submerged.
Klingenberg says the Pacific Queen had about 1,000 gallons of diesel on board. The Coral Sea had about 500.
He says the Coast Guard will monitor both sinkings for fuel leaks.
