09/11/2026
15-Year-Old Boy Stuck on Capsized Boat in the Bering Sea for 3 Days After Losing Brother and Cousin
Three family members set out this past Friday for a fishing trip to support their family. They departed from Savoonga and planned to return early Sunday morning. Family became concerned when the boys didn’t return, not knowing the devastating events that had already occurred.
A day into the trip, a family member says the guys were exhausted. On board was 15-year-old Parker, his older brother Sidney, who was the captain of the 18-foot fishing vessel, and their cousin.
That’s when suddenly the motor became tangled with fishing line. They tried through their exhaustion but couldn’t successfully untangle it. According to Parker, the group of three just sat there until later that night, when the weather got really bad.
Sidney ran to get a life jacket for Parker and suddenly became tangled in the fishing line himself, and then the boat tragically flipped. Fifteen-year-old Parker and his cousin were able to climb on top of the capsized boat. However, Sidney was unable to get out from underneath and lost his life.
With no food, water, or way to get help, Parker and his cousin sat on the bottom of the overturned boat. Through the night, the two boys sat together, but suddenly the cousin started to panic. Parker said he started to freak out and jumped ship. He only made it 5 or 6 feet before he tragically drowned, leaving Parker all alone.
From Saturday to Monday, Parker remained on his knees, where family says he prayed the whole time. Parker was just a speck of sand in the ocean, but he knew he would be found. He said he believed he would make it.
The Coast Guard was notified that the group was overdue for their return on Sunday, but weather conditions didn’t allow for the search to begin until Monday.
Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard finally spotted Parker and asked a nearby vessel, the Northwest Explorer, to rescue him. Seven scientists and six crew members on board followed the coordinates they were given, as well as the flares an aircrew set out to help them find Parker.
The captain, Adam White, said every mile they traveled, they’d honk their horn to give Parker hope that they were coming for him and this was almost over.
The rescue, which was recorded (I will add below), finally happened around 3:30 p.m., after days of not knowing how this would end for a 15-year-old boy.
Parker was unable to get to the rescue rafts, but he had just enough strength to hang on to a rope they threw him as they pulled him in and onto a device that lifted him to safety. The kindness those on board showed can be felt through the screen. They took him inside and began trying to warm him as they headed to reunite Parker with his family and get him medical treatment.
Captain White was able to meet Parker’s family, which he said was really overwhelming. He said there were mixed emotions. They had a really long hug and there was so much joy, but at the same time, pain in their eyes as they welcomed one son home and said goodbye to another, as well as their cousin, whose family asked that he not be named.
Parker’s parents have shared how grateful they are that Parker is alive and is now home with them. They also shared how kind and giving their son Sidney was. Sidney worked hard as a fisherman to provide for his family, and he constantly did for others as well. He would stop to rescue anyone in need, and he constantly spoiled his younger brother Parker.
Source: News with J
Rest in peace, Sidney and their cousin.
