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Coast Guard suspends search for 5 missing after boat sinks off Alaska

Two crew of the Scandies Rose, which sank Tuesday night off an Alaskan island, were rescued when they were hoisted from a life raft by a Jayhawk helicopter. Photo by Chief Petty Officer Charly Hengen/U.S. Coast Guard/Website
Two crew of the Scandies Rose, which sank Tuesday night off an Alaskan island, were rescued when they were hoisted from a life raft by a Jayhawk helicopter. Photo by Chief Petty Officer Charly Hengen/U.S. Coast Guard/Website

Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it has suspended its search for five crew members of a crab fishing boat, with two of seven aboard rescued after it sank off an Alaskan island Tuesday.

The Coast Guard said in an update Thursday that the search was suspended at 6:08 p.m. Wednesday for the five missing fishermen from the Scandies Rose, a 130-foot crab fishing vessel, in waters near Sutwik Island.

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The vessel sank about 170 miles southwest of the base in Kodiak about 10 p.m. Tuesday. A Coast Guard statement said Wednesday that a Jayhawk helicopter arrived on scene and rescued two survivors from a life raft. They were taken to a local hospital, where they are reported in stable condition, Thursday's update said.

The over 20-hour search spanned 1,400 square miles and included four MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews, two HC-130 Hercules airplane crews and the Coast Guard Cutter Mellon, which was diverted from the Bering Sea.

"The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case if never easy, and it's only made after careful consideration of a myriad of factors," said Rear Admiral Matthew Bell, the 17th District commander. "Our deepest condolences to the friends and families impacted by this tragedy."

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The active search was suspended "after exhausting all leads and careful consideration of survival probability," the Coast Guard statement said.

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