Coast Guard personnel spent the weekend searching for three hunters in Prince William Sound and found them on Monday.
The crew of an MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter spotted the hunter’s boat and a flag on the south side of Chenega Island, which is where the hunters had taken shelter.
The men were transported to Seward and none of them had any medical concerns, according to a Coast Guard news release.
The Coast Guard began its search Friday after the hunters were reported missing. Sea and aircrews searched more than 1,600 miles before finding the men.
The search was impeded by severe weather and some Coast Guard personnel were delayed by it. It was reported in some areas that winds were about 50 mph and seas at 10 feet.
The release says the hunters were able to get through the ordeal by eating kelp and sheltering in a cabin they found.
Michael McNeil, the command duty officer for the Anchorage Coast Guard Sector said, “Starting the new year with a positive outcome to a difficult case is all we can really ask for.”
The Coast Guard urges mariners to be prepared when they go out on the water by staying informed, wearing life jackets, and filing a float plan.
People should also make sure they have a radio, marine flares, and a working bilge pump on their boat.
