On Monday night, February 18th, the U.S. Coast Guard was alerted of a stranded man between Seldovia and Port Graham.

54-year-old Seldovia resident Kelly Brennan called an unidentified woman with his cell phone to report that he was on the beach with an inoperable motor at 4:30 pm Monday. He related to the woman that he had gotten wet and was not dressed for the weather or an overnight stay. He had been out for the day fishing in his 12-foot skiff.

According to the trooper dispatch, the woman got ahold of the Alaska State Troopers and the U.S. Coast Guard when she had not heard from Brennan since 7 pm.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Anchorage report that they recieved a call at 9:35 pm reporting that Brennan’s skiff had swamped while going ashore and that Brennan required assistance. This call prompted the watchstanders to issue an urgent marine information broadcast to all mariners in the vicinity. Watchstanders also initiated a helicopter launch out of Kodiak.

The helicopter crew launched from Kodiak and flew to the area and located Brennan just off of the beach in the tree line at Point Pogibshi at 11:45 pm. The helicopter picked up Brennan and transported him to the South Peninsula Hospital in Homer where he was treated for mild hypothermia and low-level frostbite.

“Ensuring you have a way to contact authorities or family when you set out on a voyage is critical and can mean the difference between life and death if you run into trouble,” said Jimmy Belcher, a search and rescue controller with Sector Anchorage. “In this case the boater was able to use a cell phone to call a friend and then us, but cell phones don’t work everywhere in Alaska so we also recommend taking a VHF marine radio with you and filing a float plan to let people know where you are going and when you plan to return.”

The weather at the time of the rescue was 28 mph winds with 6 to 8 foot seas and the temperature was 20 degrees fahrenheit.

Brennan is expected to make a full recovery.