AST reports that Wildlife Troopers are conducting an investigation into the cause of a fatal boating accident that took place in the Starrigavan Boat Launch area on Friday.

State and Wildlife Troopers were alerted to two boaters being thrown from a 17-foot skiff near Lisianski Point just after 12 noon on Friday afternoon. The two boaters were rescued from the water and both were transported to the Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center. One of the boaters, identified as 41-year-old Theodosy Merculieff, of Sitka, was declared deceased.

It was reported that the two were out subsistence gathering herring eggs.

Troopers report that both occupants were wearing personal floatation devices at the time of the incident.

At 1:22 pm, a Alaska Wildlife vessel was deployed to retrieve the skiff that was still adrift. It was towed to Sitka Harbor where it was secured as evidence in the investigation.

 GoFundMe donations to the family can be made below:

  accident, boat launch, boating, fatality, investigation, lisianski point, sitka, starrigavan, theodosy merculief