Searchers still looking for six missing in cold waters of Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska The search continues for six people lost in Alaska's Bering Sea following a Coast Guard helicopter crash but the odds of their survival are slim. Choppy waters and a daily five-hour window of daylight are slowing search efforts.
The helicopter crashed after the men were pulled from a disabled freighter Wednesday. The ship has split apart and spilled thousands of gallons of fuel near a sensitive wildlife habitat.
An Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner says officials are on their way to the scene. However, he says the rescue mission and bad weather could delay oil containment efforts.
The company's crew manager says the missing men are Indian and Filipino citizens. He says their families have been notified, and "we are praying very hard for them."
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
|