A Wrangell man is resting comfortably after being rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter on Tuesday morning after his 22-foot Bayliner sank in Keku Strait, south of Conclusion Island.
A Coast Guard helicopter pulled Lester Kuntz, 47, off his boat, The Keeper, as it was sinking due to a puncture in the hull.
Kuntz said he had motored into a safe harbor after stormy conditions forced him to abandon his original trip plan from Kake to Wrangell.
“It wasn’t the storm that got me,” Kuntz said. “I left Kake at 12:30 p.m. and told my family I was on the way. My main motor started acting up, so I was on the kicker for over three hours. The closer I got to Point Barry, I had to inch my way along. I made it a mile and it got rough so I turned around, found a niche and anchored up for the night.”
Kuntz said he ate dinner and retired for the night – only to awake to a horrible sound and his boat rolling to one side.
“I fell asleep at about 8 p.m. and sometime between 10-11 p.m., the boat rolled and I heard a sickening crunch,” Kuntz said. “I drifted onto a pinnacle and it pierced the boat. After pumping it I thought I could make it to Point Protection but water was gaining in the galley and the pump couldn’t keep up. That was it.”
According to the Coast Guard, an unsuccessful search for Kuntz was launched on Tuesday after his family reported him missing.
Kuntz was able to reach a nearby vessel that then contacted the Coast Guard helicopter, which was looking for him in the area.
“The Coast Guard did an excellent job and couldn’t have picked a better time to get there,” Kuntz added.
Kuntz is in good condition and back in Wrangell.
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