The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a fatal emergency Sunday morning just northwest of Ketchikan.
The Coast Guard received a call just after 9 a.m. saying the crew of the vessel Chukchi Sea lost contact with four members working in a confined space on the barge Waynehoe. At that time, the barge was in Skowl Arm, 25 miles northwest of Ketchikan.
The owner of the barge then docked in Ward Cove, said Jerry Kiffer, Chief of the North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department. There, the Coast Guard worked with the Ketchikan Fire Department and the barge owner to safely access the space and investigate the cause of the incident.
Two of the four crewmembers in the confined space were recovered and are in stable condition. The other two were recovered and later died. The investigation is ongoing.
Neither the Ketchikan Fire Department or the South Tongass Fire Department could be immediately reached for comment.
This is a developing story. KRBD anticipates further coverage as information becomes available.
