The U.S. Coast Guard has identified two people who died Sunday while working in a confined space on a freight barge near Ketchikan. 

The two deceased have been identified as Ben Fowler and Sidney Mohorovich. One body was recovered on Sunday and the other was recovered on Tuesday. The other two crewmembers working in the confined space have been recovered and are in stable condition. 

The four crewmembers were on the barge Waynehoe. The Coast Guard received a call just after 9 a.m. on Sunday saying the crew of the tugboat Chukchi Sea lost contact with four members on the freight barge. At the time, the barge was moored in Skowl Arm, just 25 miles northwest of Ketchikan. 

The Southeast Alaska Coast Guard Sector sent a response boat from Ketchikan with members from the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department.

On the way, the crew of the Chukchi Sea tugboat helped two of the four crewmembers out of the confined space. They were also able to recover one other crewmember who had died. 

Jerry Kiffer is the fire chief for the North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department. He said the owner of the barge docked in Ward Cove. There, the Coast Guard worked with the fire department and the barge owner to safely access the space and investigate the cause of the incident. 

The Coast Guard has not yet clarified where the crewmembers were on the barge or how the two died. 

Neither the Ketchikan Fire Department or the South Tongass Fire Department could be immediately reached for comment. 

Captain Stanley Fields, Commander of Sector Southeast Alaska, said in a statement: “Our deepest condolences are with the families and colleagues of the crewmembers affected by this tragic incident. This is a heartbreaking reminder that confined spaces on vessels can contain extremely dangerous, invisible hazards. The Coast Guard is committed to a thorough investigation to understand what happened and prevent a tragedy like this from occurring again.”

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and KRBD anticipates further coverage as information becomes available.