By Sentinel Staff
Two boaters reported overdue on an outing Saturday to Goddard Hot Springs were found safe there, their skiff stranded on the beach by the outgoing tide, Sitka Fire Department said.
The fire hall received a call just after 6 p.m. from family members reporting a 25-year-old man and 24-year-old woman had gone to Goddard for the day in a 17-foot Whaler and hadn’t returned when expected. The fire hall called the Coast Guard and state troopers, and notified search and rescue volunteers that they might be needed to help. About a dozen checked in at the fire hall, Chief Dave Miller said.
A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka helicopter launched around 7:30 p.m., while Command Center Juneau continued trying to contact the boaters. The helicopter found the boaters around 7:53 p.m., and the couple told Command Center Juneau on VHF Channel 16 that they were fine, just stuck until the next tide.
The couple left Goddard around 1 a.m. Sunday after refloating their boat, and were back in Sitka by 2:31 a.m. Sunday, the Coast Guard said.
