By Sentinel Staff
Two boaters were pulled from the water this afternoon west of Starrigavan and taken by ambulance to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center.
Sitka Fire Department Chief Craig Warren had no information about the medical condition of the two men, but said from shore he could see a 15-foot Boston Whaler still “running in circles” at the start of Olga Strait west of Starrigavan.
An Alaska State Trooper ties off a Boston Whaler skiff in order to tow it to town this afternoon near Old Sitka Rocks. Two men fell from the skiff, which then sped around in circles. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson
Police Department spokeswoman Serena Wild said police dispatch received 911 calls and notified the fire hall, which dispatched two ambulances to the Starrigavan boat ramp. A police dispatcher said the calls started coming in at 12:27 p.m.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter on a training exercise in the area also offered to help, a spokesman said.
Wild said the 911 callers, who were on shore and in boats in the area, had seen the boat going around in circles “at a high RPM.”
Good Samaritans got the two men to shore and provided emergency medical help until police and fire crews arrived to take over, and provide transportation to the hospital, Wild said.
Police will provide more information, including the identity of the men and their medical condition, as it becomes available, Wild said.
At press time, no more information had come in.
