The United States Coast Guard called off its search Wednesday (12-17-25) for two missing boaters near Sitka.
Alaska State Troopers say 31-year old Josiah Bracken and 50-year-old Quinn Whitten were reported missing on Monday night. The two men were last spotted leaving Sitka’s Back Beach on Friday night (12-12-25) around 11 p.m. on a 14-foot skiff, with plans to travel to Camp Coogan Bay, about five miles southeast of Sitka. The two had planned to come back the following day, but haven’t been seen since.
Petty Officer Ashly Murphy, a USCG Arctic District spokesperson, said the Coast Guard was notified of the missing men around 7 p.m. on Monday evening, but weather conditions delayed their search. She said a good Samaritan vessel was able to head out that evening to check on the location the two men planned to travel to in Camp Coogan Bay.
Shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday, a helicopter team from Air Station Sitka and a Coast Guard boat crew began looking for the men. Over 22 hours, Murphy said the Coast Guard searched over 158 square miles for them, before calling off the search at 1 p.m. on Wednesday (12-17-25).
In an interview with KCAW, Murphy said, “Our thoughts go out to all who knew these two men during this difficult time. The decision to suspend the search is never easy and it was made based on the careful consideration of a variety of different factors.”
Murphy said she was grateful for the many partner agencies that assisted with the search, including state troopers, the Sitka Fire Department, U.S. Forest Service, wildlife troopers, and at least four good Samaritan vessels.
Alaska State Troopers have now taken over the case. In a bulletin released Wednesday, troopers asked anyone with new information to call 907-747-3254.
