Tragedy that left 5 dead or missing puts spotlight on safety in Alaska charter fishing industry

Boats jockey for position minutes before the opening of the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery on March 23, 2014, in Sitka, Alaska. Sitka is the home port for a charter fishing boat that sank in nearby waters killing three and leaving two lost at sea in late May 2023. The tragedy has put a spotlight on the safety of southeast Alaska's vibrant charter fishing industry and on the port town of Sitka, where charter operators charge thousands of dollars per person for guided fishing trips.

“I can’t remember when we had any kind of fatality in our industry, so this is shocking for us,” said Richard Yamada, who sits on various industry boards, including the Alaska Charter Association and the Southeast Alaska Guides Organization. “We’re really curious to see what happened.” The Tyau clan chartered two boats — the Awakin, captained by Robidou, and another called the Pockets — and set out Friday amid rough conditions. Michael Tyau said his sisters and wife spent the day’s voyage seasick in the two boats’ cabins and skipped Saturday’s trip to recover on land.When Sunday dawned, their last vacation day before Monday flights home, the women rejoined the boats, which headed to different fishing spots.

The sisters were found inside the cabin, and Maury Agcaoili’s body was discovered near the boat. Solis and Robidou have not been found, and the Coast Guard called off its search late Monday after covering 825 square miles in more than 20 hours. Kingfisher owner Seth Bone has been in the business for at least 40 years and is well-known and reputable, Yamada said.

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Tragedy that left 5 dead or missing puts spotlight on safety in Alaska charter fishing industryCharter fishing industry experts in southeast Alaska say they're eager to learn the cause of a tragedy that left five people dead or lost at sea.
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Tragedy that left 5 dead or missing puts spotlight on safety in Alaska charter fishing industryEfforts to recover the charter fishing boat found partially submerged west of Sitka — in an incident that left five people dead or missing and put a spotlight on safety in the industry — have been hampered by strong winds and rough seas.
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