Top Stories From Homer, Alaska

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four men early Saturday morning from a Homer-based fishing boat after they abandoned ship in Makushin Bay on the west coast of Unalaska Island. The men were able to get in a life raft, but did not have on survival suits. Rescued from the F/V Illusion were Timothy Anfilofev, 49, the ship’s owner, Alexander Anfilofev and Valerie Mdzadze, no age given. He did not know the name of the fourth crewman, said Petty Officer Eric Chandler, a public affairs officer with District 17 headquarters in Juneau.

Chandler did not know why the men abandoned ship. The men were uninjured and had slight hypothermia. Conditions at the scene were 20 to 30 knot winds with low visibility and heavy mist.

According to the Coast Guard, at about 11:22 p.m. Friday, the Rescue Coordination Center in Juneau received a signal from the Illusion’s electronic position indicating radio beacon that the crew had abandoned ship. A satellite received the distress signal, but could not pinpoint latitude and longitude, Chandler said. The Coast Guard had accurate registration information, however, and contacted Anfilofev’s family to get where the Illusion was believed to be fishing. A second satellite pass confirmed its location.

A helicopter and rescue crew from the USCG Cutter Mellon on duty in Dutch Harbor flew to Makushin Bay. Chandler said rescuers dropped survival suits to the life raft, and the fishermen put them on before being hoisted to safety. The crew was picked up about 1:57 a.m. early Saturday and taken back to Unalaska.

Chandler said having updated EPIRB registration allowed rescuers to find the Illusion’s location faster. Under regulations which took effect this year, mariners are required to use 406 MHz EPIRBs and to register them with the U.S. 406 MHz Beacon Registration Database at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov or by calling 1-888-212-7283.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.