A Coast Guard Station Ketchikan 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew searches for survivors from downed aircraft in the vicinity of George Inlet near Ketchikan, Alaska, May 13, 2019. The Coast Guard, Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, good Samaritans and multiple other agencies have searched extensively and continue to search for survivors from the crash. (Courtesy photo | U.S. Coast Guard)

Ten people saved, some of whom are in ‘satisfactory’ condition

Ten people saved, some of whom are in ‘satisfactory’ condition

Here’s the latest: There are six confirmed fatalities and 10 confirmed injuries after an apparent two-plane collision near Ketchikan.

Alaska State Troopers identified the deceased as Ketchikan man Randy Sullivan, 46, Australian man Simon Brodie, 46, St. Louis woman Cassandra Webb, 62, Utah man Ryan Wilk, 39, British Columbia woman Elsa Wilk, 37, and San Diego woman Louis Botha, 46. More details on the deceased are listed below.

The crash involved a Taquan Air plane that was flying a shore excursion sold through Princess Cruises and carried 10 guests from Royal Princess and a pilot, according to a press release from the cruise line. A second floatplane was also involved in an incident and was carrying four guests from Royal Princess on an independent tour.

Three of the accounted-for passengers are in good condition at the Ketchikan Medical Center, and three have been discharged. Four were flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries, according to the medical center’s marketing and communications manager Mischa Chernik.

The four patients being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle are now all in satisfactory condition, said Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg. Patients include a 67-year-old man, a 61-year-old man and woman who are married and a 63-year-old woman.

Wreckage from the planes is expected to be recovered tomorrow and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash.

10:30 a.m.

The four patients being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle are now all in satisfactory condition, said Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg.

“All are going to be OK,” she said this morning. “The group wanted to mention they’re all grateful to those who helped at the scene.”

Patients include a 67-year-old man, a 61-year-old man and woman who are married and a 63-year-old woman.

Gregg said ailments ranged in severity, included many fractures and injuries suffered to the arms, leg, pelvis and spine were among the injuries.

The four people do not wish to speak to media at this time, Gregg said.

10 a.m.

The NTSB media briefing is set for 3:30 p.m.

NTSB to hold media briefing today (5/15/19) on the 5/13/19 midair collision involving two tour airplanes in Ketchikan, Alaska. Briefing at 3:30 pm ADT at Ted Ferry Civic Center, 888 Venetia Way, Ketchikan, AK 99901.— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) May 15, 2019

9:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 15

The NTSB will hold a press briefing this afternoon in Ketchikan to field questions related to Monday’s crash and wreckage recovery. A time for the conference has yet to be announced.

Condition report updates for the seven people being treated in hospitals in Seattle and Ketchikan have been requested.

9:42 p.m.

In a dispatch a little over an hour ago, Alaska State Troopers identified the deceased as the following people:

• Randy Sullivan, 46-year-old male, pilot, from Ketchikan, Alaska.

• Simon Bodie, 56-year-old male from Tempe, New South Wales, Australia.

• Cassandra Webb, 62-year-old female from Saint Louis, Missouri.

• Ryan Wilk, 39-year-old male, from Utah.

• Louis Botha, 46-year-old female, from San Diego, California.

• Elsa Wilk, 37-year-old female, from Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.

Next of kin have been notified, Troopers say.

7:08 p.m.

The remains of two missing passengers from one of the floatplanes involved in Monday’s two-plane crash near Ketchikan have been found, according to a release from Ketchikan Gateway Borough.

A total of six people involved in the accident have died.

“Our community is heartbroken over this tragedy and its devastating impact on so many families,” said Ketchikan Gateway Borough Mayor David Landis in the release. “There has been a tremendous outpouring of compassion and support from everywhere in the community, and we offer sincere gratitude to all those who are responding to the crashes.”

City Mayor Bob Sivertsen thanked the responders and also expressed his condolences.

“We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the first responders and good Samaritans during this tragic event,” he said in the release. “Our thoughts and prayers go out those who have lost loved ones. We are mourning with you,” Sivertsen said.

5:10 p.m.

Authorities are not yet releasing or confirming names of passengers or pilots, but social media posts circulating indicate pilot Randy Sullivan of Ketchikan, owner and operator of Mountain Air Service was involved in the crash.

Family and friends shared messages of mourning and remembrance online, and Wells Fargo in Ketchikan has established a memorial account for Sullivan’s family.

A Wells Fargo branch manager said deposits to the Randy Sullivan memorial account can be made from any Wells Fargo in the country.

4 p.m.

Homendy described what preliminary information shows about yesterday’s collision.

“I want to stress this is preliminary information, we have a lot of information we need to collect, and a lot of information we need to verify,” Homendy said. “Two air tour operators were involved in a mid-air collision at about 12:21 p.m. Alaska Time, yesterday. Preliminary data shows that the Taquan plane was on a southwest heading inbound to Ketchikan. It descended from about 3,800 feet to between 3,200 and 3,300 feet at about 126 knots, which is approximately 140 mph. The second plane, was on a west southwest heading also inbound to Ketchikan maintaining an altitude of 3,300 feet at 106 knots, which is about 125 mph. The two planes converged between 3,200 and 3,300 hundred feet.”

More information about the investigation will be shared tomorrow.

Homendy said data has been requested from the FAA to help with the investigation. Interviews will also be conducted and evidence will be gathered.

“We’ll be looking at pilot log books, we’ll be looking at the training and qualification of pilots, any medical issues, whether flight plans were filed with the company or the Federal Aviation Administration,” Homendy said. “We’ll be looking at maintenance records for both air crafts. We will be looking at company operating procedure and whether those operating procedures were followed. We’ll be looking at the routes that were flown.”

She said it was known neither plane had a flight data or voice recorder and neither plane was required to have one.

3:50 p.m.

More information about how the planes came together is expected to be forthcoming tomorrow, said NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy during the teleconference.

They said wreckage from both aircraft is expected to be recovered tomorrow.

3:40 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board will continue to investigate what preliminary reports indicate was a midair collision.

Future updates will come from the organization’s Twitter account, per information shared during an ongoing teleconference.

The NTSB will not be making a determination regarding the cause of the crash.

3:35 p.m.

City and Borough mayors both extended condolences to families affected by the accidents and extended their thanks to emergency responders and searchers who have assisted in the aftermath of yesterday’s crash.

3 p.m.

Kiffer said searchers are specifically looking for passengers who were aboard the Beaver, the smaller of the two aircraft involved in yesterday’s crash.

2:50 p.m.

Jerry Kiffer of Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad said search efforts were suspended at 10 p.m. yesterday and resumed at 6 a.m. this morning.

He said there were some indications that an aircraft involved in the crash began to come apart in the air based on debris found.

2:30 p.m.

There is a press conference and teleconference underway at the Ted Ferry Civic Center in Ketchikan.

Representatives from the Coast Guard, Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, Borough and City mayors, South Tongass Fire Chief and the owner of George Inlet Lodge will speak.

U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Michael Kahl spoke first and said the search is still on for two passengers who were aboard the smaller of two air crafts involved in yesterday’s dual floatplane crash.

“We are actively looking for two passengers,” Kahl said.

He said the search would continue until they are found or until the search area near the site of the crash is “saturated.”

1 p.m.

Patti Mackey, President and CEO for Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, said those in the tourism industry are saddened by yesterday’s crash.

“It’s a very close-knit group,” Mackey said. “They have very heavy hearts today.”

She said it is too early to tell if the fatal, apparent mid-air collision of two floatplanes yesterday has affected the way visitors will spend their time in Ketchikan.

“We haven’t really had much information on how it might affect people’s plans,” Mackey said.

She said while rumors are swirling about the crash, people are awaiting official releases of more information about the crash.

11:35 a.m.

An update earlier this morning, via the Harborview Medical Center: The two 61-year-old patients there are a husband and wife. They’re in “satisfactory” condition.

11:25 a.m.

The Coast Guard released photos from the search, including the one above and the image below.

A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hovers while searching for a survivor from a report of two aircraft colliding in the vicinity of George Inlet near Ketchikan, Alaska, May 13, 2019. Ten survivors of the crash had reportedly swam to shore and were rescued by Coast Guard aircrews while the search continues for two people still reported to be missing from the crash. (Courtesy photo | Ryan Sinkey)

11:20 a.m.

There will be an information set up to field media inquiries related to yesterday’s crash, according to a press release from Ketchikan Gateway Borough.

The release includes statements from both the borough mayor and city mayor.

“Our community is heartbroken over this tragedy and its devastating impact on so many families,” said Ketchikan Gateway Borough Mayor David Landis in the release. “There has been a tremendous outpouring of compassion and support from everywhere in the community, and we offer sincere gratitude to all those who are responding to the crashes.”

City Mayor Bob Sivertsen thanked the responders and also expressed his condolences.

“We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the first responders and good Samaritans during this tragic event.,” Siversten said in the release. “Our thoughts and prayers go out those who have lost loved ones. We are mourning with you.”

The names of the passengers are not being released at this time, according to the release. Once all of the individuals have been accounted for, Alaska State Troopers will release the names of the deceased after the next of kin has been notified.

The full release is below.

A Joint Information Center is being established at the Ted Ferry Civic Center, 888 Venetia Way as of noon today to field media inquiries related to yesterday’s dual floatplane crash. Representatives from area agencies will be available to speak to the media between 2-5 p.m. at the Joint Information Center. As of this hour, representatives from the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department and the Mayors of the Borough and City of Ketchikan will be in attendance. The U.S. Coast Guard personnel and additional agencies may also be in attendance. The PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center will be hosting a short press conference regarding the medical response to yesterday’s plane crash at 11 a.m. at the hospital. Medical Director Dr. Peter Rice will be providing this brief update to be held in the main hospital lobby at 3100 Tongass Avenue in Ketchikan, Alaska. The search resumed at 6 a.m. this morning for two remaining passengers on a Mountain Air Beaver floatplane that crashed in the Mahoney Creek area of George Inlet. Search and rescue crews Monday evening recovered the remains of a fourth individual involved in two fatal floatplane crashes south of Ketchikan. Four are confirmed deceased. Two floatplanes crashed at approximately the same time in George Inlet today within a mile and a half of one another. A Taquan Air Otter floatplane with 11 individuals crashed in the Coon Cove area of George Inlet. A Beaver floatplane operated by Mountain Air with five individuals crashed in the Mahoney Creek area. A total of 16 were on board the two planes. All passengers aboard the Taquan Air plane have been accounted for, according to Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad Incident Commander Jerry Kiffer. KVRS is conducting dive operations at the site of the Mountain Air wreckage today. The debris field is 1,000-feet by 2,600-feet, of which 500 feet are on land. Ketchikan Gateway Borough Mayor David Landis offered this statement for all involved: “Our community is heartbroken over this tragedy and its devastating impact on so many families. There has been a tremendous outpouring of compassion and support from everywhere in the community, and we offer sincere gratitude to all those who are responding to the crashes.” City Mayor Bob Sivertsen thanked the responders and also expressed his condolences. “We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the first responders and good Samaritans during this tragic event. Our thoughts and prayers go out those who have lost loved ones. We are mourning with you,” Sivertsen said. Ten patients were transported to PeaceHealth Medical Center with injuries ranging from broken bones and lacerations to life-threatening injuries. The names of the passengers are not being released at this time. Once all of the individuals have been accounted for, Alaska State Troopers will release the names of the deceased after the next of kin has been notified. The Borough is not releasing details regarding the circumstances of the crash. At 12:47 p.m. Monday, the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a reported boat crash in George Inlet. Rescuers did not discover there were two planes down until approximately 20 minutes into the incident. The U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska State Troopers, Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, and Temsco spent the afternoon and evening searching the area Monday. The Ketchikan Fire Department and North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department are also assisting with the care and transport of patients. Allen Marine Tours, which was conducting a tour in the area, assisted with the transport of a number of patients waiting ambulances. George Inlet Lodge also played a pivotal role in the rescue effort, serving as the base of operations for search and rescue.

11:08 a.m.

Empire photographer Michael Penn got a few photos of the Royal Princess as it pulled into Juneau this morning. See a couple of them here:

The Royal Princess at the South Franklin Dock on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

The Royal Princess at the South Franklin Dock on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

11 a.m.

A prayer event is planned for this afternoon at Ketchikan Medical Center.

Rhonda Bolling, organizer of the annual Prayer Around the Hospital event, said people will meet at the hospital around 12:20 p.m. and church bells will sound at 12:26 p.m., which she said was the time of the crash.

“Last night, it was just literally a cloud of sadness,” Bolling said of the atmosphere in Ketchikan. “I’ve been on the verge of tears.”

Prayer Around the Hospital is an annual Christmastime effort to encircle Ketchikan Medical Center with people holding hands and praying. Bolling said she is not sure what turnout will be like for a springtime version of the event, but she is trying to get the word out.

Bolling said she is close with people in the flightseeing industry and knows multiple people directly affected by the crash.

She said first responders and tour operators will be in her prayers today along with the 16 people who were aboard the two planes that apparently collided yesterday.

“We worry because these people are coming up for the trip of a lifetime,” Bolling said. “For this to happen just crushes them. It hurts all of the tour operators.”

“It was really, really a traumatic day for (emergency responders) yesterday,” she added.

Bolling said she is not sure if there will be collection efforts to benefit survivors or families of the deceased, but if there is she predicted there would be an outpouring of support.

“Our town is really amazing,” Bolling said. “Our town really comes together.”

10:10 a.m.

Some kind of haunting footage here of floatplanes flying past the Royal Princess as it pulls into Juneau this morning.

Few moments ago and just after arrival of #RoyalPrincess from #Ketchikan … #floatplanes take off from #Juneau #Alaska on their regular cruise ship passenger tours — watch live on https://t.co/HGqMbOgDoR pic.twitter.com/vOY13k0mFb— PTZtv (@PTZtv) May 14, 2019

9:50 a.m.

It’s unclear what kind of an effect this tragedy might have on Juneau’s tour companies. We gave a call to Alaska Shore Excursions, a tour broker company that books tours around Southeast, and they said there hasn’t been a surge of cancellations as a result. They said they’ve had to reschedule or refund some people on the Royal Princess because the boat got delayed in Ketchikan, but there hasn’t been a rash of cancellations due to fear or hesitation to get up in the air.

9:35 a.m.

The Royal Princess is arriving now in Juneau.

9:20 a.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration provided an update of all preliminary information regarding yesterday’s crash.

There was a multiple aircraft accident in Coon Cove, AK, near George’s Inlet. A de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver and a de Havilland Otter DHC-3 collided in midair under unknown circumstances. Local authorities say that 5 people were onboard the Beaver and 11 people were onboard the Otter. Neither aircraft were under air traffic control at the time. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation.

7:50 a.m.

One of the four patients in Seattle is in serious condition, according to University of Washington Medicine Public Information Editor Brian Donohue. That patient is a 67-year-old man.

The other three patients are in “satisfactory” condition, Donohue said. Those patients are a 63-year-old woman, a 61-year-old woman and a 61-year-old man, and the four patients have a variety of injuries including rib, pelvis, arm and spine fractures, Donohue said via email.

7:42 a.m.

One of the four deceased passengers is a Canadian citizen, according to Global Affairs Canada Media Relations Spokesperson Guillaume Bérubé.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the Canadian citizen who died in Alaska,” Bérubé said via email. “Canadian consular officials in Seattle are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and stand ready to provide consular assistance as required. To protect the privacy of the individual concerned, further details on this case cannot be released.”

Mischa Chernik, marketing and communications manager at the Ketchikan Medical Center, said via phone that four people have been flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries. The six people at the Ketchikan Medical Center, she said, are all in good condition and she said they expect to release one person today.

7 a.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board is launching a team from Washington, D.C., to investigate the crash, the agency announced Tuesday morning. Watch a snippet from the NTSB press conference below.

6:40 a.m., Tuesday, May 14

At about 10:45 p.m. Monday, a Coast Guard press release stated that there are now four confirmed deaths after the crash. Agencies and good Samaritan vessels are still searching for two missing people as of 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, EMS Stephen Mueller said in a phone interview. Those two missing people are from the Beaver, he said.

Mueller said the Bailey Barco is still searching the area near George Inlet. One Station Ketchikan 45-foot Release Boat-Medium is searching, and an Air Station Sitka helicopter is set to resume its search at 7:30 a.m., Mueller said.

No names have been released, Mueller said. Usually, Alaska State Troopers release names of deceased in cases such as this, but Mueller said he wasn’t sure which agency will be releasing the names in this specific case.

Coast Guard Sector Juneau is coordinating the search along with U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Ketchikan Fire Department, Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, Alaska State Troopers and TEMSCO Aviation. Capt. Stephen White, Coast Guard Sector Juneau commander, said searches such as this require a team effort.

“In a remote area such as this, given our limited resources, we rely on our partner agencies and appreciate the support that good Samaritans have rendered to this point,” White said in Monday night’s press release. “With the loss of life in this case, we know that the impact to Alaska is immense and our thoughts are with the community here.”

6:10 p.m., Monday, May 13

While five deaths are being widely reported, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said there are three confirmed fatalities and search and rescue is still underway for the three still missing. Sixteen people total were aboard the two planes that collided today in the air near Ketchikan.

A Princess Cruises spokesperson said their information came from the Alaska State Troopers.

Megan Peters, communications director for the Alaska State Troopers, said the Coast Guard is the lead agency in this case and released related to the search will come from the Coast Guard.

5:36 p.m.

Princess Cruises issued a statement about today’s fatal plane crash near Ketchikan, saying that the planes involved had cruise ship passengers involved in an excursion on board.

“On Monday, May 13, 2019, at 1:08 p.m. local time, a small float plane operated by Taquan Air that was flying a shore excursion sold through Princess Cruises was involved in an accident approximately eight (8) nautical miles from Ketchikan, AK. The flight was returning from a Misty Fjords tour and carried ten guests from Royal Princess and a pilot. A second float plane was also involved in an incident and was carrying four guests from Royal Princess on an independent tour. The U.S. Coast Guard and local search and rescue teams have confirmed that nine (9) of the guests on the Taquan Air plane have been rescued and are receiving medical attention with the condition of one (1) guest still unknown. It has also been confirmed there are five (5) fatalities from the independent air tour – four (4) Royal Princess guests and one (1) pilot. Princess Cruises has activated members of its Care Team to provide assistance to the families impacted by today’s accident. We are deeply saddened to report this news and our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and the families of those impacted by today’s accident. Princess Cruises is extending its full support to traveling companions of the guests involved. Royal Princess is sailing a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise that departed Vancouver on May 11 and is scheduled to arrive in Anchorage on Saturday, May 18.”

The figures shared in the statement are at odds with numbers provided by the Coast Guard and PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medial Center.

A Coast Guard spokesperson said to the best of his knowledge there are three confirmed fatalities, three passengers that are still missing and 10 survivors receiving medical attention.

Taquan Air also issued a statement.

On Monday, May 13, 2019, at 12:26 p.m. local time, a De Havilland Otter operated by Taquan Air was involved in an accident approximately eight (8) nautical miles from Ketchikan, AK. The flight was returning from a Misty Fjords tour and carried ten guests and the pilot. A second float plane was also involved in an incident. The U.S. Coast Guard and local search and rescue teams have confirmed that nine (9) of the guests and the pilot on the Taquan Air plane have been rescued and are receiving medical attention with the condition of one (1) guest still unknown. We are devastated by this news and our hearts go out to our passengers and their families. At this time, we are in the midst of an active crisis response, and our focus is on assisting these passengers, the pilot, our staff, their families and loved ones, and first responders. Taquan Air has suspended all scheduled flights and is cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other authorities to examine every aspect of this event. In addition to the NTSB, FAA, and U.S. Coast Guard, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders, and the entire Ketchikan community for their support in the rescue effort.

5:20 p.m.

A PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center spokesperson provided a new condition report from patients involved in today’s plane crash near Ketchikan.

Ten people have been admitted. Three are in serious condition and seven are in fair condition. No information regarding ages or places of origin could be provided.

Previously, one patient was in critical condition, three were in serious condition and six were in fair condition.

4:50 p.m.

The Coast Guard has confirmed three people died as a result of a plane crash near Ketchikan today.

“At this point, we have 10 people who are accounted for and receiving medical care and three who are confirmed deceased at this point,” Schofield said.

He said the names of the deceased are not being released yet, pending notification of next of kin.

“I know that the NTSB is going to be investigating the crash,” he added.

The U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Ketchikan Fire Department and Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, Alaska State Troopers and Temsco Aviation are helping.

“With something like this, it’s an all hands on deck situation,” Schofield said.

Preliminary reports indicate it was quite possibly a midair collision.

Emergency response crews transport an injured passenger to an ambulance at the George Inlet Lodge docks, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Ketchikan, Alaska. The passenger was from one of two float planes reported down in George Inlet early Monday afternoon and was dropped off by a U.S. Coast Guard 45-foot response boat. (Dustin Safranek | Ketchikan Daily News via AP)

4:12 p.m.

Ten patients began to arrive at PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center around 2 p.m., said Mischa Chernick, marketing and communications manager, PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center.

One is in critical condition, three are in serious condition and six are in fair condition.

Chernick told the Empire there was no indication whether the patients came from one plane or both planes.

3:28 p.m.

More than two hours after the Coast Guard received word of two downed floatplanes near Ketchikan, not much else is known beyond how many passengers were on each plane.

Petty Officer John-Paul Rios said 11 passengers were aboard one plane and five were aboard the other.

The City of Ketchikan declined to make a comment at this time since so few details are confirmed, and no one was present in the Ketchikan International Airport manager’s office who could speak on the record.

The National Transportation Safety Board has not immediately returned calls seeking comment.

3:03 p.m.

Six passengers aboard downed floatplanes near Ketchikan are unaccounted for, said Petty Officer John-Paul Rios.

He said it has been determined there were 16 people aboard two floatplanes that drew response from the U.S. Coast Guard and good Samaritans beginning around 1:30 p.m. today.

“Just because we say they’re accounted for doesn’t mean we know what their conditions are,” Rios said.

Both planes were reported as floatplanes, one was a Beaver model and one was an Otter model, Rios said, but whether the planes were private or commercial aircraft was unknown.

It’s unknown at this point what led to the planes going down, he said.

“That information we don’t have at this time, as you can imagine at this time our main focus is search and rescue,” Rios said.

2:02 p.m.

The Coast Guard is responding to two downed floatplanes in the George Inlet area near Ketchikan.

Chief Petty Officer Matthew Schofield said some passengers have been accounted for, but he said their condition is unknown. He said it was not known how many total people were on the planes.

“Right now we don’t know what happened as far as why the air craft went down,” Schofield said. “We know that we’ve accounted for 10 people, but the condition they’re in is unknown at this time.

He said he expected the Coast Guard to provide further updates as more is known, and the Coast Guard was notified of the downed planes around 1:30 p.m.

A helicopter was sent to respond from Sitka and two 45-foot boats from Ketchikan responded, Schofield said. Good Samaritans are also assisting.

“We will try to update as soon as we can,” Schofield said.

• Contact reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.