After three days lost at sea, a 15-year-old Alaskan boy shares heart-breaking details about his survival in the frigid open water

A 15-year-old Alaska boy survived nearly three days on top of an overturned fishing boat in the freezing Bering Sea. When rescuers finally reached him, he had a devastating story to tell about the two family members who had been with him.

Derek Parker Aghnaanga was fishing for halibut with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and 34-year-old cousin, Barton Rookok, when their small skiff overturned near St. Lawrence Island. Aghnaanga was eventually found clinging to the overturned vessel, while his brother and cousin did not survive.

Per NYPost, the teenager spent about 62 hours exposed to the elements before a fishing vessel brought him aboard. He had no food or water during the ordeal and was showing symptoms of hypothermia when rescuers reached him.

The teenager had nowhere to go

Aghnaanga’s survival depended on staying on the overturned skiff as it drifted through the Bering Sea. The water around the vessel was roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit, making the situation even more dangerous for someone stranded without shelter.

The Coast Guard eventually spotted the teenager sitting on top of the boat. A nearby fishing vessel, the Northwest Explorer, was then brought in to help with the rescue.

Captain Adam White and his crew of 13 made their way toward the overturned skiff. They sounded the ship’s horn as they approached, hoping the teenager would recognize that help was coming.

When the crew reached Aghnaanga, they pulled him aboard and immediately worked to warm him. He was wrapped in blankets and kept talking with the crew as they began the journey toward Nome.

White recalled that Aghnaanga was struggling to speak because his teeth were chattering from the cold. Still, the teenager managed to explain what happened to his brother and cousin. “Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff,” White said.

Aghnaanga then told the captain that his cousin had slipped from the overturned boat during the previous night. The teenager had remained on the skiff while both relatives ultimately died in the water. The Coast Guard later recovered the bodies of the two men. Aghnaanga was the only survivor from the fishing trip.

White described the teenager’s endurance. “Saturday, all the way to Tuesday, that kid was on top of that skiff,” White said. “I mean, that’s one tough kid.”