By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Alaska State Troopers this morning released the names of the five people who were aboard a charter fishing boat that sank in Sitka Sound Sunday.
A body recovered from the water Sunday by the Coast Guard helicopter that was first on the scene of the sinking was identified today as Maury Agcaoili, 57, of Waipahu, Hawaii.
The four individuals missing after an intensive air-sea search was suspended Monday night were identified by troopers as Danielle Agcaoili, 53, Waipahu, Hawaii; Robert Solis, 61, Canoga Park, California; Brandi Tyau, 56, Canoga Park, California; and Morgan Robidou, 32, of Sitka. Robidou was skipper of the boat and the other four were charter clients.
The boat with the five aboard had gone out early Sunday for a day of charter fishing, and was reported overdue by the company, Kingfisher Charters, that evening.
A Coast Guard helicopter was launched at 7 p.m. Sunday and quickly found the mostly submerged boat near the southeast end of Kruzof Island. About five feet of the bow section remained above water. The man in the water was unresponsive, and was pronounced deceased when the helicopter returned to Sitka, troopers said.
A 20-hour air, sea and land search of more than 800 square miles was suspended by the Coast Guard at 9:30 p.m. Monday.
Throughout the search the aluminum boat was seen bobbing in the surf, with the transom bouncing off the bottom of the ocean in the shallow water on the northeast side of of Low Island, on the southeastern end of Kruzof Island.
On Tuesday the Sitka Fire Department said conditions were too dangerous for divers to continue efforts to access the wrecked vessel on Monday.
Efforts to recover the boat continued today, troopers said. The salvage company Hanson Maritime of Sitka is assisting with coordination and vessel recovery efforts.
“Conditions on scene have been rough seas and strong wind,” troopers said this morning.
Taking part in the search and recovery efforts are the U.S. Coast Guard, Sitka Fire Department dive and search and rescue teams, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, and Alaska State Troopers. A number of good Samaritan vessels helped out as well.
