On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Coast Guard rescued two fishermen from a commercial fishing boat that ran aground on a small island, in Pasagshak Bay south of Kodiak. No injuries were reported.
According to a statement from the Coast Guard Arctic District, just after 7 a.m. Wednesday morning the fishing vessel Quantum reported taking on water two miles offshore from Kodiak Island.
Less than an hour and a half later, a helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak hoisted both crewmembers from the Quantum, who were wearing survival suits, and brought them back to town to receive emergency services.
Based on a photo of the vessel shared by the Coast Guard, the Quantum was likely geared up for catching Pacific cod and was not actively fishing at the time of the incident.
Currently the Central Gulf of Alaska federal Pacific cod pot gear season is closed and fishermen have less than a week before the state Pacific cod pot gear season in the Kodiak area opens on Jan. 27.
The Coast Guard said in an email that the vessel started taking on water after getting stuck on rocks surrounding an island near Ugak and Pasagshak Bays. The Quantum is still reported to be aground as of Thursday morning and the agency is working with the owner, Kirick Reutov, to oversee salvage of the vessel.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include the name of the fishing vessel's owner.
