HE SURVIVED 62 HOURS IN THE FREEZING SEA — THEN TOLD RESCUERS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS BROTHER AND COUSIN

Fifteen-year-old Derek Parker Aghnaanga clung to an overturned fishing boat for nearly three days after the vessel capsized off Alaska. His brother and cousin did not survive.

A 15-year-old Alaska boy has survived a terrifying 62-hour ordeal in the freezing waters of the Bering Sea — but the story he told after being rescued was heartbreaking.

Derek Parker Aghnaanga had been out fishing with his 35-year-old older brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and their cousin near St. Lawrence Island when their small skiff capsized.

Derek was eventually found alive, alone on the overturned boat.

His brother and cousin were gone.

THE TRIP THAT NEVER ENDED

The three had left the remote village of Savoonga, Alaska, on September 4 for a halibut fishing trip.

They were expected to return early Sunday morning.

When they failed to come home, authorities were alerted and a search operation began.

But the remote location, darkness and dense fog made the search extremely difficult.

At some point Saturday night, the fishing boat overturned far out at sea.

What happened next became a desperate fight for survival.

HIS BROTHER DISAPPEARED BENEATH THE BOAT

According to rescuers and family members, Sidney became trapped beneath the overturned skiff.

Derek later told the crew that his older brother was still underneath the boat.

His cousin managed to remain near the overturned vessel for a time, but eventually slipped away during the night.

Derek was left alone.

His family later said he tried desperately to hold on to his relatives before ultimately having no choice but to cling to the overturned boat himself.

62 HOURS IN FRIGID WATER

Derek spent roughly two and a half days exposed to the elements.

The water temperature was around 50°F (10°C), while the teenager had no food or water.

His mother, Vina Kulowiyi, later described him as a survivor who relied on prayer throughout the ordeal.

According to his family, Derek remained determined that he would make it home.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard continued searching for the missing group.

‘HE’S ALIVE!’

The breakthrough came on the morning of September 7.

A Coast Guard aircraft spotted the overturned skiff several miles east of St. Lawrence Island.

A rescue raft and supplies were deployed, and the nearby fishing vessel Northwest Explorer was directed toward the teenager.

When the crew finally reached him, Derek was seen kneeling on top of the overturned boat in a bright yellow jacket.

Captain Adam White described the teenager as remarkably tough.

Derek was suffering from hypothermia when rescuers pulled him aboard.

The crew wrapped him in blankets and used hot packs to help warm him before transporting him toward Nome.

HIS FAMILY HEARD THE RESCUE LIVE

For Derek’s family, the moment they learned he had been found alive was overwhelming.

His mother and relatives were listening to a radio transmission of the rescue.

When the captain announced that they had found a living child, the family celebrated.

Then came the devastating question:

Where were the other two?

The bodies of Sidney and Derek’s cousin were later recovered.

A BROTHER WHO WAS MORE THAN FAMILY

Sidney was not simply Derek’s older brother.

A family member said Derek had looked to him as a father figure after their own father died.

Sidney was also a commercial fishing captain and was described by relatives as a humble and loving provider who helped people throughout the small community of Savoonga.

For the family, his loss has therefore been devastating on multiple levels.

Yet amid the grief, they are also holding onto the fact that Derek survived.

‘HE LIVED ON PRAYER’

Derek’s survival has stunned rescuers and his community.

He endured darkness, cold water and hours of uncertainty while clinging to a boat that had become his only chance of staying alive.

And when help finally arrived, he was still there.

A 15-year-old boy went to sea with his brother and cousin. He came home without them — but somehow survived long enough to tell their story.