The search went on through the night for a missing crew-member of the 58-foot fishing vessel "Advantage."

It was shortly after midnight last niight, that the 17th District watchstanders picked up the emergency position radio beacon notification from the sinking vessel as it was going down 14 miles southeast of Kodiak island.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts to raise the vessel on the radio, the Juneau Watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Kodiak to the scene.

Because the signal from the “Advantage’s” EPIRB was not precise, a correction was made as the helicopter was in-flight and a positive location was transmitted to them.

When the Jayhawk helicopter arrived at the scene 60 miles from the city of Kodiak, 14 miles from shore on the southerly end of the island, they first spotted the vessel’s debris field, then located the raft containing three survivors of the sinking.

The men in the raft were hoisted to safety and transported to awaiting EMS in Kodiak. Then taken to Providence Medical Center there, to be treated for severe hypothermia. The helicopter, with fresh crew, returned to the scene to conduct a further search of the area for the missing fourth man, according to Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis. As of this printing, those efforts have been unsuccessful.

Apparently the vessel sank quickly, as none of the crew had donned survival suits.

One of the three survivors, despite medical efforts, would not survive long at the hospital, and succumbed to complications of hypothermia.

The names of the three in the liferaft, as well as that of the missing man, have not yet been released.

The cause of the sinking is still unknown at this time. Reported weather at the time of the incident was clear skies, wave height of two to three feet, and a water temperature of 52 degrees fahrenheit.

According to the Kodiak Harbor office, the “Advantage” was participating in pot-cod fishing Pacific Cod.