Alaska Seal Hunters Rescued in Bering Sea

0:00It's April 15th. Welcome to Anchorage News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story. A seal-hunting trip off Sheffernack Alaska turned deadly serious when three adults in a kid got stranded on a drifting ice flow in the Bering Sea. They were out on an 18-foot boat for subsistence hunting, trapped about 10 miles west of shore for over 24 hours. The group broke free from the ice overnight and tried linking up with a shore team from the village riding snow machines. But shifting ice blocked their way, leaving them exposed. Coast Guard jumped in after a call at 4.24pm. Saturday, launching an MH-60 J-Hawk helicopter and an HC-130 Hercules plane. From Kodiak Air Station, the chopper hit the scene around 5am, Sunday, after refueling in King Saman and Bethel. Harsh conditions hit hard, 28 degrees, 29 mile per hour winds, and 800-foot cloud ceiling and 9 miles visibility. Solid satellite comms helped pinpoint them.

1:01Everyone got hoisted aboard safely, no injuries, and flown back to Sheffernack. That flawless teamwork cut through Alaska's brutal weather, bringing the family home whole.