Park spokesperson Tom VandenBerg said Alaska State Troopers were notifying the families of the deceased Tuesday. According to VandenBerg, the Invader, a small aluminum fishing vessel, abruptly capsized in Glacier Bay between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday.
“There was no mayday call or anything,” VandenBerg said. “It happened pretty quickly, and then they were in the water and nobody saw them.”
Jim Kearns, operator of the local charter Fairweather Adventures, helped rescue three of the boaters. The survivors told him they’d been fishing. One of the boaters was investigating a slow leak in the boat when everyone moved to one side to catch a glimpse of a freshly caught fish, Kearns said. He was told that’s when the boat capsized; no one onboard could reach a radio in time.
A statement from VandenBerg said word of the sinking near Strawberry Island, about 10 miles from Bartlett Cove and park headquarters, came in from other crews in the area after one of the survivors made it to shore.
The Associated Press, via the Juneau Empire, released the names of the men who died:
Tom VandenBerg, chief of interpretation for the park, listed the men who died as Larry Roger McWilliams, 75, and Gary Roger McWilliams, 48. Their hometowns were not immediately available. The elder McWilliams carried an Oregon driver’s license, and the younger man was from California, Vandenberg said.
The boat was privately owned, VandenBerg said. He did not know the owner.
The cause of the capsizing also was a mystery. The weather was clear and calm in the area where the boat was fishing.
The boat was near shore on the back side of an island, away from a main channel. One person managed to swim to shore and flag down a passing boat, VandenBerg said.
“That was the only way they were seen,” he said.
Condolences to the families of the victims and to those who survived the ordeal. .
